Here's What You Need To Know About Papa John's New Stuffed Crust
Stuffed crust pizza can be a divisive issue. When it comes to pizza eaters, some are all about the toppings, some prefer it extra cheesy, some like the sauce, but a sizable group (including the entire population of Chicago) thinks it's all about the crust. Even in the crust camp, though, there are those who feel that stuffed crust is simply too much of a good thing. Others, however, are all about the extra cheesiness. After all, Pizza Hut has been offering stuffed crust since back in 1995, so 25 years of success seems to imply that somebody — or rather, quite a few somebodies — keep ordering the stuff.
Well, Papa John's may be a bit late to the party, but better late than never. As Tom Smith, Papa John's director of culinary innovation, implied in a statement released to the press (via Business Wire), PJ's customers have been bugging them to add this item to their menu since, like, forever.
Prompted by what CNN Business called the "pandemic-era pizza wars" with more customers than ever ordering their favorite fast food, Papa's decided to get with the program to keep customers from opting for the competition instead. (How embarrassing would it be if they lost out to a pizza chain formerly known as Chuck E. Cheese?) They'll be upping the ante — and the cheesiness — by giving in to what these "passionate pizza fans" have been demanding and adding stuffed crust to the lineup.
The what, when, and how of Papa John's 'epic' new pizza
Papa John's Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza is, according to their press release, going to consist of "Papa John's original dough... hand-stuffed with extra cheese, topped with our signature pizza sauce, more cheese and the topping of your choice." So, basically Papa John's pizza. With a stuffed crust. If you like both of these things, you'll probably love it. A Redditor who lives in one of the product's test markets (these being Texas, Ohio, and Kentucky) called it "delicious and better than [Little Caesars] for sure," adding that the pizza is "even better reheated in the air fryer the next few days."
If you'd like to try it yourself rather than taking the word of a random Redditor, you won't have much longer to wait. Papa John's Rewards members will have the chance to try it "at select locations" starting on Dec. 21, 2020, while it will be released to the general public on the 28th. It will cost you $12 for a large one-topping pizza if you use the promo code "STUFFED," although there's no word on how long the promo will last or what the cost will be when it ends.