It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, and you’re settling in to watch the big game. Just as the pre-match pundits start their commentary, a notification pops up on your phone: “Kick-off special – your usual large pepperoni, extra cheese, with garlic knots on the side. Ready in 25 minutes?”
Somehow, Papa Johns knows exactly what you’re craving, and by half-time, the delivery driver is at the door.
This is the sort of experience the US pizza chain hopes to make standard, through a new, expanded partnership with Google Cloud.
The collaboration has spawned PJX, an innovation team staffed by data scientists, engineers and digital product specialists, designed to mix Google’s AI and machine learning expertise with Papa Johns’ understanding of customer behaviour, and tasked with delivering what it calls “frictionless and consistent” customer experiences both in-store and online.
“Being the best means we are crafting great pizza and providing every single customer a superior experience along every part of their journey – from ordering, to delivery, to our loyalty program,” says Todd Penegor, president and chief executive.
“We’re not just reacting to orders – we’re anticipating our customers’ needs and proactively providing tailored recommendations and offers.”
The initiative builds on Papa Johns’ history of topping up its technology tools: “We were one of the first to accept an online pizza order and even one of the first to take Bitcoin,” says David Rose, senior director of global technology. “That’s definitely in our heritage.”
Personalisation at scale
Rose, who now leads global technology, AI and innovation, says PJX will use Google Cloud’s AI and machine learning to help the company adapt more quickly to changing customer behaviour.
He explains that the push to focus on modernisation came from the post-COVID “hangover”.
“During COVID, delivery hospitality like ours did very well – people were at home, had savings, and were ordering takeaway. But as the world reopened, restaurants bounced back, people cooked at home more, and takeaway demand dipped a bit.”
At the same time, he says, aggregators like Deliveroo and Uber Eats grew strongly, changing the competitive landscape: “That means companies have to innovate more quickly to understand changing customer needs better.”
“The best innovation delivers your strategy,” he says. “For us, that’s great pizza, conveniently ordered through digital channels – not just ‘cool’ tech for its own sake.”
One focus is “hyper-personalised” ordering. By applying Google’s generative AI models to its customer data, Papa Johns plans to adjust the app and website experience to suit each user, such as offering unique discount codes and location-based promotions.
David Rose, senior director of digital technology at Papa Johns
“We start with broad segmentation, such as how often people order, the occasions they order for, the channels they use,” Rose explains.
“Where we have enough confidence, we can personalise further, whether that’s using a customer’s name or tailoring offers to weekend or lunchtime habits.”
The technology could also help shape loyalty rewards, product recommendations and the tone of marketing messages. “We’re cautious about quality and brand standards, but generative AI opens up possibilities for automated text and image creation,” Rose says.
Anticipating the next order
Google BigQuery, Vertex AI and Gemini will help PJX anticipate customer needs, suggesting orders ahead of events like birthdays or sports matches.
“We’ve had success with weather- and sport-based triggers, but empowering local franchisees is key,” Rose says. “They know their market best, whether that’s a US college game or a local UK football club.”
Plus, while the millennial generation might be stereotyped to prefer texting over calls, Gen Z’s preference for using the voice note option between their peers means Papa Johns sees group ordering and voice AI as future opportunities, Rose says.
“Ordering will become more conversational,” Rose predicts. “Rather than clicking through a fixed menu, you might just say what you want, and the system can personalise bundles or deals for you. Adding 10 pizzas becomes as simple as saying it.”
The company is also developing an AI-powered chatbot to handle common enquiries, escalating complex cases to human agents.
Back of house
Beyond customer-facing improvements, the pizza chain will move to a Google Cloud–based point-of-sale system to enable AI-driven dispatching, delivery route optimisation and automation of in-restaurant processes.
Rose stresses that the adoption of AI is not without its risks. “We’re building governance frameworks to make sure we’re doing it safely, so that customers know when they’re interacting with AI, and that we can explain how it works,” he says.
Issues such as bias, accuracy, privacy and accountability are “front of mind”.
For now, the focus is on careful but rapid rollout. “I’m excited about what generative AI can do behind the scenes, but also how it changes the customer experience,” Rose says.
“The real challenge is adoption. Some things, like during COVID, drive rapid change. Others take longer. Our job is to make sure the options are there when people are ready.”
