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Papa John’s faces backlash after American Russia franchisee refuses to close 190 stores

“The vast majority of Russian people are very clearheaded,” the franchise operator, Christopher Wynne, said. “And, at the end of the day, they appreciate a good pizza.”

FILE- This Dec. 21, 2017, file photo shows a slice of cheese pizza at the Papa John's pizza shop in Quincy, Mass. Papa John’s plans to pull Schnatter’s image from marketing materials after reports he used a racial slur. Schnatter apologized Wednesday, July 11, and said he would resign as chairman after Forbes reported that he used the slur during a media training session. Schnatter had stepped down as CEO last year after criticizing NFL protests. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) (Charles Krupa, Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Pizza chain Papa John’s is facing heavy criticism on social media after an American franchise operator in Russia refused to close 190 stores, even after the company said it would suspend all corporate operations there following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The operator, Christopher Wynne, told The New York Times he won’t close the pizza shops controlled by his company, but mostly owned by Russians. The 190 stores make up the vast majority of Russia’s Papa John’s locations.

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“The best thing I can do as an individual is show compassion for the people, my employees, franchisees and customers without judging them because of the politicians in power,” Wynne, a 45-year-old Colorado native, told the newspaper.

“The vast majority of Russian people are very clearheaded and understand the dark gravity of the situation they’re in,” he said. “And, at the end of the day, they appreciate a good pizza,” Wynne added.

Read the full story here.


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