Leading pizza franchise, Papa John’s, has announced franchisee, Umar Malik, is expanding in Wales! He has now opened his fourth Welsh Papa John’s inside a year. Umar adds Cardiff to his portfolio of franchised outlets which also include Neath, Newport and Swansea, to a further Swansea store which he opened in 2014.

“I first discovered a passion for pizza while studying for my MBA in Carlisle,” explains Umar. “I worked as a delivery driver for a rival firm and later discovered Papa John’s. The concept of ‘Better Ingredients, Better Pizza’ impressed me from the outset. I’d never seen repeat business like it and customers just kept coming back for more!

“I funded my first Swansea Papa John’s through savings plus a business loan from HSBC,” continues Umar. “HSBC fully understood the Papa John’s franchise model and its potential, so securing the necessary funding was straight-forward.

“Since then, the franchise has gone from strength to strength and I have opened four stores this year and progress won’t stop here!” confirms Umar. “With the help of the Papa John’s franchisee incentive scheme I am looking at opening five additional stores, also in Wales, next year too!

“As the capital of Wales, Cardiff is a great location,” continues Umar. “It’s a big city and people were missing out! I am now delighted to have trained up 30 staff ready to be able to deliver on our special opening promotions.”