Tapan Vaidya, CEO, PJP Investments Group
Tapan Vaidya, CEO, PJP Investments Group started working in restaurants from his university days; he loved his work so much that he never left the industry. Now a veteran in the industry, Vaidya is currently the CEO of PJP Investments Group, the owner-operator of Papa Johns in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq. With 36 years of experience, of which last 18 years have been with Papa Johns across the Middle East and India, Vaidya has been associated with the development of hundreds of restaurants across these markets with brands including Papa Johns, Chili’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Outback Steakhouse to name a few.
Alongside developing and expanding Papa Johns in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq, Vaidya is keen to give back to the industry. He serves on the Advisory Board of UAE Restaurant Group, a not-for-profit organisation patronized by the UAE Chamber of Commerce, the voice of the industry in the UAE.
As the industry faced pandemic driven challenges for almost two years Vaidya dug deep to bring new insights and creative solutions in handling his business. As a result, the brand showed resilience against headwinds of 2022, and PJP also bagged the ‘Franchisee of the Year’ award at PJFC 2023 held in Orlando, Florida. Under Vaidya’s leadership, the brand has made strong sustainability commitments. For instance, all its pizza boxes are compostable and single use plastic bags have been replaced with biodegradable bags.
What’s more, PJP plans to open 20+ new restaurants in 2023 across markets where it operates the Papa Johns brand. Along with expansion, the Group will continue to invest in technology to augment operational ease in restaurants and strive to offer excellent products and services to customers.
PJP in numbers:
To know more about the Papa Johns growth story, join us at the Middle East Retail Forum 2023 where Tapan Vaidya will be speaking. Register now!
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