Lunch at Papa John's

By Jian Shuo Wang on 2006-07-09 15:10 · Restaurants

Papa John’s kept opening store in Shanghai in a speed higher than many people’s expectation. After I saw the first Papa John’s store in Biyun International District of North-East Shanghai, more and more stores appeared - in Xujiahui, and another in Biyun District. It has more than 20 outlets in Shanghai. The two I saw today are only within 7 minutes’ walking distanct. It either means bad planning or a sign of high demand. My observation is the latter.

I stepped into the Papa John’s store near the B&Q store. It is almost full, with only 2 tables left. It looks Papa John’s is having a good business.

Table Talk

There is an article named “The joy of listening to other people’s talk”. The article said it brings you to a world that you will never be able to enter.

The lunch talk on the left table is obversly about business. I cannot recognize what the conversation is about, but got some keywords:

Accenture / Multi-national compaines / CTO / Technology…

My guess is, they are students from the CEIBS (China-Europe International Business School). Their campus is about 2 km away.

21 Comments

I couldn't agree more.

Last sunday,on my flight back home from 1 month vacation in Suzhou, a lady was seated next to a fellow Filipino, and later a chinese looking genteleman in her 40's joined them. I was seated behind them.

Their conversation was more than sumptous, since it started with best find restaurants in Shanghai,

Thailand and of course Philippines.Mouth-watering cuisines, like Lengua, filled my senses as i savoured into thier conversation. The chinese looking guy, seemed to have a vast knowledge in pasta, i heard words such as the best cheese and the best place to grab this products.

For the first two mins.before the plane takes off, iwas having a hard time focusing on my G.G. marquez book..But i chosed to put it down and tune in with thier conversation. My mom would surely

not agree with the eavesdropping, and i too, felt it was wierd, but it was more than informative, and i kinda like it. mariz

— mariz · 2006-07-09 17:15

hey,bro!

today a report on your blog appeared in the newspaper- lianhe zaobao singapore.. cool man!

— michelle · 2006-07-09 17:19

Michelle, i guess it's that piece of newspaper that led both of us here. quite a nicely maintained blog..especially in English.

btw, how is the ambience of this Papa John's restaurant? sounds like a western food place? and the price level? Will be expecting to sample it out on my next trip to shanghai. ;) *yummy yummy*

— \L · 2006-07-09 18:42

Hi, nice to meet you. Your well-known blog has been posted in one of the best singapore newspaper. I read it and found that they have put ur website add. up there, so i feel free to log in and take a look. Nice blog anyway...By the way, I am from Shanghai,too. Your English is good. Keep it up! =)

— Dodo · 2006-07-09 18:50

Hehe,I found the site from lianhe zaobao,too.

This blog is really wonderful,I have to say.

Hope one day I can do as well as you do.

Just go on your personality!

— Irene · 2006-07-09 19:08

Jianshuo, your blog has been reported by Lianhe Zaobao: http://www.zaobao.com.sg/gj/zg060709_509.html

— campus · 2006-07-09 19:30

Hi, it is good that Lianhe Zaobao bring all of us to be here, cheers

— chenjing · 2006-07-09 20:18

if it's a Papa John's Pizza, it's pretty lousy stuff but probably not as nasty as Melrose Park.

— Shrek7 · 2006-07-09 23:20

hey! the Zaobao site brought me here as well. ^_^

nice writing, keep it up!

— xiangfei · 2006-07-10 09:38

Dodo,

Lianhe Zaobao is just a local tabloid. but maybe you are right by saying "one of the best", since there are only a few (maybe 2?, the other one is The Straits Times in English)local newspaper available in Singapore.

— \L · 2006-07-10 12:30

Hi Jian,

Byun lu in in Jin Qiao International district, i live and work here, so sorry for the geographic remark.

Papa Jhones doesnt make really good busines, as well quality is a classic USA culinary Mickey Mouse fatty food concept, taste of coruse much better then pizza hut, but very far from real pizza is just a greased overproofed bread with some topping, all good to get obesity, and cause all the disease of JUNK food.

They got very bad planning, as when they open in Byun Lu Jin Qiao International District, they even didnt knwo the next lane name and home delviery was a mere disater, fianlly seem they improve, delivering their fatty topped bread, that they called pizza, but has nothing to do with real pizza....

its pity and interesting how the mass found anything from USA good, looks like an blind idololatry, when actually yes USA did some goods, but by majority they produced and exported bad things, such the culture of mass junk food, wars...

— Jerry · 2006-07-10 12:31

Pizza lovers, iPoders, unite!

Please take 30 seconds to sign this petition to Steve Job and make a diffrence for Chinese workers:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/249890913?ltl=1150646086

— Concerned iPoder · 2006-07-10 21:04

Sorry for the typo. The above petition is intended for Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder and CEO.

— Concerned iPoder · 2006-07-10 21:06

I think pizza hut is good.I like pizza .

many people like Italy food,the environment of restaurant is nice in shanghai city.

shirley

— shirley · 2006-07-11 10:41

I've been there once. Acturally,I was attracted by the name of the restaurant "PAPA JOHN'S".

So is there any difference between PAPA JOHN'S and PIZZA HUT? I can't find it yet.

— lunar · 2006-07-12 18:21

In my personal oppionion (based on how my mouth was structured), I love Papa John's much better than Pizza Hut. I don't like Pizza from Pizza Hut, and I don't know why so many people line up at weekend. Papa John's pizza is good. I'd love to go again.

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2006-07-13 00:38

papa johns is a 3rd rate US based take and bake pizza chain, which is not popular in the US...how is it doing here? In the US people order the pizza than take it home and bake it in their own ovens, is it the same in Shanghai?

In the States, they are way at the bottom of the fast food/junk food, food chain.

— dgplo · 2006-08-26 21:32

Hey guys...watch that USA bashing...

I invite y'all to come on over...very cool here. Everything is available...everything.

the whole point..is choice. Choice City... you can go nuts making them :) (choices)

— Alyson · 2006-11-17 12:49

i love pizza hut. pizza at papa johns is nasty stuff.but i don't think it's horrible as round table.

— colapepsi · 2007-06-17 08:09

Hello, I can not find a correct and active complaint approach. I take this as a window. I locate in Suzhou of China. My colleague(USA people) and I have a dinner in Papa Johns where is Yushan Road of Suzhou China at PM6:30-7:10 in Jan 08th. We lost the portable computer and camera there. They are stolen by the thief in Papa Johns store. The policeman and waiters(eyewitness) can prove this is ture. We also have the monitor record. Papa Johns Shanghai also konws this incident. But nobody like to take any responsibility for the shop security issue as this is second same case in this shop per police officer. My colleague and I was very disappointed on the attitude of Papa Johns. We trust Papa Johns, so we have dinner there. I do not kowm if anybody will care this email, but I will take my right to in law and media.

Best regards,

Davyqian

— davyqian · 2009-01-10 22:07

I paid 179 RMB for two Budweiser beers and a 14" pizza at the Papa John's Pizza joint in S.I.P.in Suzhou city a few days ago. I asked 4 times for extra pineapple, tomato sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, and green peppers (yes, extra everything). I also asked for the pizza to be well done with the toppings placed on top of the cheese. I was the only customer in the place, but it still took nearly 24 minutes for the crap pizza to arrive at my table. The pizza was not fourteen inches wide, it had barely any toppings at all, and it was bone dry. The guy who spoke to me in good English heard me ask if he understood me perfectly. He answered in the affirmative and promised me that my expensive pizza would be done to my specifications. What a joke!

I had to argue with the staff to have my money returned to me. Typical for China where all of the Western franchise brands owned by Chinese people rip off the customer. In fact, the Papa John's pizza is much more expensive here in S.I.P. than it is in the United States.

Oh, and stay away from the Subway sub shop in Zhongsan City in Guangdong Province. It is located in the big Japanese dept. store and charges 48 RMB for a sub that has ONE tablespoon of tuna fish!!! Serious ripoff!

— Peter Hunt · 2011-04-11 11:29