Major Pizza Closures Could Hit Rockford

I know this is gonna come as a surprise, but I don't eat pizza every day. Again, I know, but it's just how it is.

Sometimes, I go weeks, maybe months, before I order up a pizza. This is typical behavior for me. What's stunning is that it looks like pizza isn't in the spotlight right now in the food landscape.

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Pizza Hut and Papa John’s Announce Hundreds of Store Closures

So maybe it's not just me. There might be dozens of people who don't eat pizza all the time. I kid, but it looks like there's a trend in the pizza industry, and it's not super positive.

Pizza Hut announced it is closing 250 locations in 2026, and, not to be undone, the news today is that Papa John's will close about 300 stores by the end of 2027.

The company also mentioned that they plan to close at least 200 by the end of 2026.

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Which Papa John’s Locations Are Being Targeted?

Here are the Papa John's restaurants they are looking to close, according to USA Today.

They are looking at franchise-owned, 10-year-old, underperforming locations as candidates for the chopping block.

Papa John’s Says Closures Are Strategic Despite Global Sales Growth

Papa John's folks say these stores are generating something called
"negative four-wall" income, which, if you're like me, just sounds bad, but essentially means they aren't profitable at the store level.

Could Rockford Papa John’s Locations Be Affected?

It's not all bad for Papa John's, though, as global sales are up and higher-ups say it's strategic to strengthen its locations.

The real question on my mind is which, if any, store in Rockford will be closed? If so, will it be more than one?

When's the last time you ordered Papa John's?