Papa Murphy's Pizza

Papa Murphy's isn't your typical pizza joint-and that's exactly the point. While everyone else is cranking out hot pies from industrial ovens, Papa Murphy's basically said "nah, we're gonna do something different" and built an entire empire around the take-and-bake concept. They prepare delicious pizza you can take home and make your own, prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients so you can take it, bake it, and enjoy it fresh out of the oven.

Here's what makes them interesting: with 1,086 locations across the United States as of July 2024, they've proven that sometimes the best pizza is the one you finish at home. The whole "we make it, you bake it" thing isn't just a catchy slogan-it's actually pretty genius when you think about it. You get restaurant-quality ingredients and preparation, but you control the final product. Want it extra crispy? Bake it longer. Prefer it gooey? Pull it out early.

And here's something that sets them apart from basically every other pizza chain: because their ingredients are fresh and you get to bake at home, Papa Murphy's accepts SNAP EBT payments. That's huge for families trying to stretch their food budget while still getting something that feels like a treat.

According to the company's official website, Papa Murphy's is the largest franchisor of take-and-bake pizza in the U.S. They've been doing this since 1995, which means they've had nearly three decades to perfect the art of the unbaked pizza. It began in 1995 as the merger of two local take-and-bake pizza companies: Papa Aldo's Pizza (founded in 1981) and Murphy's Pizza (founded in 1984), both chains were later acquired and consolidated by Terry Collins into Papa Murphy's.

The business model is actually pretty smart from a cost perspective too. According to Nation's Restaurant News, take-and-bake pizzerias typically have lower costs because they require less restaurant space and equipment. As a result, they are often able to undercut the national pizza giants. No need for massive ovens, dining rooms, or delivery fleets-just prep space and refrigeration.