Papa John’s International transferred 28 corporate-owned restaurants in the greater Orlando area to established franchisee Wade Oney on August 25, 2026, advancing the brand’s multi-year refranchising initiative. Oney and his franchise organizations, which opened 10 new locations across Central and South Florida in 2025, now operate more than 120 Papa Johns restaurants in the Southeast United States.
Papa Johns (Nasdaq: PZZA), the third-largest pizza delivery franchise globally with approximately 6,000 restaurants in roughly 50 countries and territories, has been systematically reducing its corporate-owned store count in recent years, redirecting capital toward brand infrastructure and franchisee support. The 28 Orlando-area restaurants, previously operated by Papa Johns USA, Inc., passed to two Oney-controlled entities: PZZA Group, LLC and Magic City Pizzerias, LLC. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Papa Johns
Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.
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From Crew Member to Multi-Unit Leader
Wade Oney‘s connection to the pizza industry stretches back to 1981, when he first started working at a pizza restaurant. Over the following decades, he rose through management to hold senior roles at some of the world’s largest pizza companies, including six years as Chief Operations Officer at Papa Johns, a tenure during which the brand’s system expanded past 2,000 restaurants. Since transitioning to the franchisee side of the business, Oney has been named Franchisee of the Year multiple times by Papa Johns and was inducted into the brand’s Hall of Fame. Earlier in 2026, Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine honored him with the Spirit of Franchising MVP Award.
28 Refranchised Stores Added to an Expanding Portfolio
The Orlando transaction follows active growth for Oney’s franchise organizations in 2025, when they opened 10 new Papa Johns locations across Central and South Florida. The addition of the 28 refranchised corporate stores brings his total portfolio to more than 120 units. The two acquiring entities, PZZA Group, LLC and Magic City Pizzerias, LLC, join three other Oney-operated organizations (Bam-Bam Pizza, Inc., Oney Bayside, LLC, and Coastal City Pizza, LLC) that together make up one of the brand’s largest multi-unit footprints in the Southeast. No details on the purchase price were made public.
Refranchising as a Capital Strategy for QSR Brands
The shift of corporate stores to franchisee ownership is a widely used approach across the quick-service restaurant sector. For the parent company, the model allows resources to be directed toward brand development, technology, and national marketing while established operators handle local execution. Papa Johns has described the strategy as a deliberate effort to partner with franchisees who have demonstrated operational track records rather than maintaining a large corporate store footprint. The Orlando transfer, involving a franchisee with decades of experience and multiple industry recognitions, reflects that stated approach. Papa Johns has not publicly specified a target ratio for franchised versus company-owned stores.
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