Papa John’s Is Bringing Back This Super Popular Pizza Tomorrow

Following a strong performance in the second quarter, Papa John's is aiming for another slam dunk with a reprise of a beloved limited-time menu item.

Fans will be excited to learn that Shaq-a-Roni Pizza, which features the chain's largest slice to date, will again be available in stores starting tomorrow. The extra-large pie is designed by Shaquille O'Neal himself and comes loaded with twice the amount of ingredients of a standard Papa John's pizza.

The Shaq-a-Roni also offers significantly larger slices than a regular Papa John's creation. While the chain's standard pizza comes in ten slices, the Shaq-a-Roni is cut into eight, creating the largest slice Papa John's has ever offered. Truly, a serving size befitting the 7-foot-1 Shaq, who is a two-year member of the chain's Board of Directors.

The Shaq-a-Roni first landed on Papa John's menu last summer and was one of the two most popular items at the chain during its limited-time run. Additionally, the promotion had a charitable component: the sales from the deluxe menu item helped raise money for Papa John's company-run charity, with $1 from every Shaq-a-Roni sold being donated to the Papa John's Foundation for Building Communities. In less than two months of sales, the Shaq-a-Roni brought in over $3 million for the charitable fund.

This time around, you can feel just as good about indulging in the giant slices. Papa John's will again pledge $1 from every Shaq-a-Roni sale to its charity partners, who will also be prominently featured in the item's ad campaign. Forthcoming ads will spotlight community-focused charities including the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the Baltimore Hunger Project, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The exclusive pizza will be selling for $13, but prices may vary by location.

The return of the beloved item comes near the end of a successful but challenging year for Papa John's. Like other pizza and delivery-focused companies, the chain saw significant growth in sales during the pandemic, as customers increasingly favored off-premise dining options. Papa John's challenge this year has been to sustain that growth and interest in its product, with industry analysts betting against it.

But it looks like the chain has been staying the course so far. It recently reported same-store sales growth of over 5% —well over Wall Street's estimated 1.1%. The company even managed a new personal record for footprint growth this year, having already added 123 new domestic units on top of plans for 260 new locations abroad. As far as footprints go, that's still not quite on the level of Shaq (who wears size 22). But it's getting there.

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