Papa Johns

Story and a Papa Johns franchise owner who is a veteran

1. Franchising USA Franchising USA
Page 71
Papa John’s Pizza
Veterans in Franchising
Veterans in Franchising
How does a man
go from briefing
the Secretary of
Defense to flipping
Papa John’s Pizzas,
to Winning “National
Franchisee of the
Year”?
Here’s how…
When people walked into the first
Papa John’s Pizza in the Washington
Metropolitan Area in Sterling, Virginia
in 1993, they saw a smiling man standing
out of the way, but clearly overseeing
the operation. Many wondered, and
sometimes even asked, “Is that Papa
John?” It wasn’t Papa John, it was Colonel
William Freitas and here is his story…
Colonel Freitas, a highly decorated
Vietnam Veteran, rose through the officer
“The Colonel”
Franchising USA
“The Colonel not only put his heart and soul into
his first store, but every penny he had. H is goal:
To make his one store the best run Papa John’s
in the country.”
reinvested every penny made into building
more stores, not even taking a pay check
for over 5 years.
The Colonel and Andy ran the business
with Andy as the company’s first general
manager (he now serves as the Chief
Operating Officer). His youngest son,
Patrick, joined the team as a delivery
driver and now serves as Senior Vice
President of Operations supervising Papa
John’s stores in Montgomery and Prince
George’s Counties in Maryland.
By 2015, The Colonel was operating
63 Papa John’s locations throughout
Maryland and Virginia.
In 2009, Colonel’s Limited was recognized
by Papa John’s International as “National
Franchisee of the Year” – Best of the Best
in the USA!
For information about Military
Veteran Incentives, please visit our
website at www.PapaJohns.com or
www.VeteransBusinessServices.us.
ranks of the United States Army after
graduating from Colorado State University
as a distinguished military graduate. “The
Colonel” (as everyone calls him) accepted
his commission and was stationed at Fort
Knox, Kentucky. He was a Bird Dog pilot
in Vietnam in 1967 where he flew Cessna
spotters. He returned to Vietnam in 1971
as a Cobra helicopter pilot. He then was
selected to command an air cavalry troop
in Fort Hood, Texas in 1976, and then a
tank battalion in Fort Polk, Louisiana in
1983. A stint at the National War College
brought him and his family (his wife
Frances and sons Andy and Patrick) to
the Washington, DC area in 1985. While
in DC, he worked with the Joint Chiefs of
Staff as Chief of Conventional War Plans
during the Gulf War.
Upon retirement from active duty, The
Colonel and his eldest son, Andy went
to Louisville, Kentucky to research this
new franchise opportunity called “Papa
John’s”. They found such synergy with
their business ethics, practices, food
quality, and customer service standards,
that their choice became clear. But what
really won them over was the great taste
of Papa John’s Pizza! They knew they had
to be part of this great team and that their
lives were changing right then and there.
The Colonel not only put his heart and
soul into his first store, but every penny
he had. His goal: To make his one store
the best run Papa John’s in the country.
He believed in the brand so much that he