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Rush for 23-cent pizzas closes Papa John's stores Chain seeks police help at 6 local shops Thursday, May 8, 2008 9:34 AM Updated: Thursday, May 8, 2008 05:24 PM THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Overwhelmed by the response to a promotion offering 23-cent pizzas, Papa John's closed its Columbus stores before dinner today. Columbus Police officers were called before 5 p.m. to help close the pizza shops because of concerns that the large crowds could become unruly, said Amanda Ford, a police spokeswoman. She said there are about 20 Papa John's locations in the city, but officers were beginning by assisting at...

PORTSMOUTH -- Police are investigating the shooting death of a pizza delivery driver in Portsmouth. It happened around 11:00 Friday night at the 5600 block of Craneybrook Lane in the Churchland section of the city. Police have identified the victim as Robert Edward Kiesewetter, a 50 year old resident of Yaupon Street in Portsmouth. He was delivering pizza for Papa John's.

Two pizza delivery chains refused to send drivers to a public housing community Thursday afternoon, shocking and angering members of the AIDS/HIV Services Group and the president of the local NAACP. Kathy Baker, ASG’s executive director, said that when Domino’s and Papa John’s were called to deliver to an HIV testing event at Westhaven public housing community, the businesses responded that they don’t deliver to Hardy Drive. “I find it quite inappropriate. Whether it’s intended or not, it results in socioeconomic and racial discrimination,” Baker said. “We order pizzas from them all the time and it never occurred to me...

DES MOINES, Iowa - The top executive at Papa John's International Inc. received no bonus and no stock options in 2003, as the pizza company's earnings plunged, according to a regulatory filing. His base pay also shrank. According to the proxy statement, founder, chairman and chief executive John H. Schnatter's total compensation package was $649,785. The Louisville, Ky. company's executive compensation committee had approved a 2 percent raise for most officers, Schnatter included. But last May he asked that his base salary be reduced by $200,000 "in order to provide funds to increase the compensation of certain restaurant-level managers and...

Papa John's fills soldier's unusual order: 40 pizzas to Iraq Papa John's International Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZA) is sending 40 pizzas to U.S. Air Force troops stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq. Karen Sherman, vice president of community and public relations for the company, said 18 members of the Louisville-based pizza company's executive team -- including founder and CEO John Schnatter -- made the pies Thursday in the restaurant at the company's headquarters. They are being shipped via FedEx and are scheduled to arrive in Kirkuk on Sunday evening. The delivery was spurred by an online customer request form received from a U.S....