Despite opposition from some local residents and business owners, it appears that Papa Johns Pizza will soon open a new location in Dorchester at 1501 Dorchester Ave.
According to a recent NBC Boston report, several community members, including Antonio’s Pizzeria owner Brian Chavez, have been attempting to block the new Papa Johns from receiving its final approvals from the city.
Their concern is that the neighborhood already has an abundance of fast-food options, and Chavez fears that a Papa Johns directly across the street will hurt his business. Additionally, a Papa Johns location less than half a mile down the same street closed several years ago, which raises further questions about the viability of another franchise in the area.
Adding to the tension, the franchisees—Joe Johnson, Ralonda Johnson, and David Rothman, as confirmed by a business entity search—aren’t local to the area. However, they have reassured locals that the manager will be from Boston, and the franchise plans to hire local employees.
Nevertheless, it seems the plans are moving forward. Both the eatery’s Google Business page and the Papa Johns website list the Dorchester Ave location as “coming soon.” The franchise already has several locations in the Greater Boston area, offering pizzas, ‘Papa bowls,’ wings, sides, and desserts.
The Dorchester franchise team was unavailable for comment, so keep an eye out for updates as the situation develops.
