McDonagh buys Papa John’s pizza franchise

FAST food entrepreneur Pat McDonagh — who owns the Supermac’s chain of eateries — has bought the Irish franchise for the US pizza parlour chain, Papa John’s, for an undisclosed sum.

Mr McDonagh, who has steadily built up his Supermac’s chain into a nationwide business since starting it in Galway in the late 1970s, has already tested out the Papa John’s menu around Galway and is keen to expand it nationwide.

Although the company has not settled on how many outlets it will open, it is understood that the vast majority will be in the form of specialised areas located within existing Supermac’s restaurants.