How does a Papa Murphy’s franchise operate after opening?
A Papa Murphy’s Franchised Store prepares made-to-order, uncooked pizza and related meal items for pickup or approved delivery; the guest completes the bake at home. The franchisee runs the store, crew, inventory, food safety and records, while Papa Murphy’s International LLC controls the menu, Methods of Operation, suppliers, technology, digital channels and brand standards.
Data basis: Papa Murphy’s International LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document issued March 27, 2026; Items 1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19 and 20; Franchise Agreement Sections 2, 4, 5 and 6; and the Operations Manual table of contents. The U.S. format is one site-specific Franchised Store. Item 20 covers 2023–2025 through November 30, 2025. Official pages were checked July 31, 2026.
What does the Franchised Store sell, and who completes the meal?
The unit sells fresh, uncooked Papa Murphy’s pizza plus approved salads, sides, desserts and limited-time products to the general public. Store employees prepare and package the order; the guest normally takes it home and bakes it in a household oven.
The store’s production work
The Methods of Operation require daily dough production, daily grating of whole-milk mozzarella, hand slicing of fresh vegetables, and assembly to Papa Murphy’s recipes and portions. The model has no pizza oven, venting hood or dining area, so production centers on cold preparation, wrapping and handoff rather than on-premises baking or table service.
- Daily dough
- Fresh-cut vegetables
- Made-to-order assembly
- Wrapped for home baking
How customers order
Orders can enter as walk-in, call-in or online transactions recorded through the required POS System. The official ordering site and brand application support pickup, while delivery at participating locations uses approved delivery providers. The Franchise Agreement requires participation in franchisor-authorized online ordering and delivery programs rather than an independently built channel.
- Walk-in
- Telephone
- Website or app
- Approved delivery
Evidence: 2026 Papa Murphy’s International LLC FDD, Item 1, pp. 7–9; Item 11, pp. 39–45; Item 16, p. 50; Franchise Agreement §§6.10–6.12. Product descriptions can be checked against the official Papa Murphy’s menu.
How does an order move through a Papa Murphy’s unit?
The operating cycle joins brand-controlled demand channels to franchisee-controlled store execution. The POS System records the transaction, the crew prepares approved ingredients and assembles the uncooked product, and store data then feeds required reporting, payment, loyalty and audit processes.
Demand and order entry
- Actor
- Guest, cashier or approved digital channel.
- Action
- Selects required or optional menu items, modifiers, pickup timing and available payment method.
- System or asset
- Papa Murphy’s POS System, telephone, official website or mobile application.
- Output
- A time-stamped order routed to the Franchised Store.
Ingredient preparation
- Actor
- Store production team under the Franchise Owner or Certified Manager.
- Action
- Makes dough, grates cheese, slices vegetables, labels food and stages the makeline under Operations Manual rules.
- System or asset
- Approved equipment, proprietary or approved ingredients, refrigeration and food-safety procedures.
- Output
- Prepared inputs available for assembly.
Build and quality check
- Actor
- Production employee or shift lead.
- Action
- Builds the pizza to the selected recipe, applies required portions, wraps the uncooked product and checks presentation.
- System or asset
- Recipe specifications, makeline, packaging and required brand-standard controls.
- Output
- A labeled, ready-to-bake order.
Handoff or approved delivery
- Actor
- Cashier, store team and, where available, an approved delivery provider.
- Action
- Confirms the order, processes payment and releases it for pickup or third-party delivery.
- System or asset
- POS payment tools, pickup staging and authorized delivery integration.
- Output
- The guest receives an uncooked meal to bake at home.
Customer record and follow-up
- Actor
- POS System, MySLICE Rewards and store personnel as applicable.
- Action
- Records the sale, applies gift-card or loyalty functions and handles guest-service issues through required tools.
- System or asset
- Customer Relations Management, loyalty, gift-card and incident-management programs.
- Output
- Transaction and Customer Data available for permitted follow-up.
Reporting and control
- Actor
- Franchisee, bookkeeper and Papa Murphy’s International LLC.
- Action
- Reconciles sales, maintains records, submits financial information and permits POS polling and audits.
- System or asset
- POS reports, accounting records, automated clearing house process and Store Solutions Support.
- Output
- Verified Net Sales, operating records and required system reporting.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 6, 8 and 11; Franchise Agreement §§4.7–4.13 and 6.4–6.12; Operations Manual sections on Product Flow, Order Channels and Payments, Preparation, Guest Service and Assessments. The official MySLICE Rewards page describes the loyalty channel.
Can the store be manager-run, and who controls the employees?
The Franchise Agreement expects the Franchise Owner’s personal supervision and full-time participation. Every store must be managed by a trained owner or Certified Manager, but the franchisee—not the franchisor—hires, fires, trains, schedules and supervises the store employees.
Item 15 permits approved operations personnel to oversee day-to-day work only within Papa Murphy’s approval structure, and the Franchise Agreement allows a qualified manager for a multi-store entity only when approved in writing. A multi-store franchisee or designated operating partner must still participate actively in each Franchised Business. The disclosures require active participation throughout the franchise relationship.
- Franchise Owner or designated operating partner: provides active management, maintains compliance, controls local employment decisions and remains accountable for the Franchised Business.
- Certified Manager: completes the required training path, manages shifts and applies the Operations Manual, food-safety, service and brand-standard procedures.
- Store employees: perform order taking, cashier work, ingredient preparation, pizza assembly, packaging, cleaning, receiving, inventory handling and guest service.
- Papa Murphy’s International LLC: trains and supports the system but expressly does not operate the store, direct the crew or assume the franchisee’s bookkeeping, inventory-control or local execution duties.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 11, pp. 39–45; Item 15, p. 50; Franchise Agreement §§2.3, 6.11 and 6.12. Current support descriptions appear on the official training and ongoing-support page.
Which suppliers and systems are mandatory?
Papa Murphy’s International LLC controls the operating inputs through written specifications, approved or designated suppliers, the Operations Manual and required technology. The franchisee buys, maintains and replaces those inputs, while approved vendors and affiliates provide critical ordering, payment, security, delivery and marketing infrastructure.
Franchisee executes
- People
- Recruit, train, schedule, supervise and pay the store team.
- Production
- Order inventory, receive food, prepare ingredients and fulfill orders.
- Administration
- Maintain books, payroll, permits, records and local marketing documentation.
- Compliance
- Apply food-safety rules, maintain the facility and correct inspection findings.
Franchisor specifies
- Menu
- Required products, recipes, portions, packaging and limited-time offers.
- Supply chain
- Approved, designated or sole-source products and supplier qualifications.
- Technology
- POS System, payment, network security, integrations, access and upgrades.
- Brand control
- Advertising, digital channels, inspections, audits and Methods of Operation.
Third parties enable
- Transactions
- Approved payment gateway, processor and online-order vendors.
- Delivery
- Approved platforms or aggregators at participating locations.
- Support
- Store Solutions Support, required software, hosting and connectivity vendors.
- Marketing
- Murphy’s Marketing Services, Inc., gift-card, loyalty and customer tools.
Item 8 estimates that 80%–98% of operating purchases and leases will come from Papa Murphy’s International LLC, its affiliates or approved suppliers. A proposed alternative supplier requires written review and may take 60–90 days after complete information is supplied. The franchisor may also require replacement, updates or upgrades to the POS System and related technology without a contractual frequency or cost cap.
The POS System supports walk-in, call-in and online order entry, pricing, payment rules, inventory, purchasing, labor scheduling, cash handling and reporting. Papa Murphy’s International LLC may poll it, obtain remote or physical access, require integrations and control Customer Data. Named operating tools include MenuLink, ProfitKeeper, Olo Dashboard, Pulse Realtime, One Bite at a Time, Papa Murphy’s University and Service Management Group.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 8, pp. 32–35; Item 11, pp. 37–45; Franchise Agreement §§4.13, 6.4, 6.9 and 6.14. The official franchise FAQ provides current public context on the take-and-bake facility model.
What does the franchisor control, and what remains a franchisee decision?
The franchisee controls local execution inside a tightly specified system. Papa Murphy’s International LLC determines what may be sold, how products are prepared, which channels and suppliers may be used, how the brand appears and what data must be reported; the franchisee makes the day-to-day people, scheduling, purchasing and service decisions needed to comply.
- Product and quality control: the franchisee must sell approved items, offer required items and follow recipes, portions, packaging and preparation specifications. Ready-to-eat baked products are restricted except as the Operations Manual permits.
- Marketing control: Papa Murphy’s International LLC controls Brand Marketing Fund creative and may require systemwide, multi-area or cooperative promotions. The franchisee executes local marketing with approved materials and maintains evidence of required local activity.
- Inspection and records: the franchisor may conduct unannounced inspections, audit books and POS records, remove nonconforming or unsafe materials, and require corrective action. A materially unsafe or unsanitary store can be directed to close immediately.
- Pricing and payment programs: the franchisee generally manages store execution, but required promotions, payment methods, gift cards, loyalty, online ordering and permitted maximum-price programs can constrain local choices.
The Franchise Agreement grants a non-exclusive license for one approved location, not an exclusive territory. The Advertising Coverage Area organizes local media; it does not prevent other Papa Murphy’s Stores, company-owned outlets, affiliated brands or reserved distribution channels from competing. Electronic Communication Systems—including websites, mobile applications and social media—remain under franchisor direction, and independent online selling is restricted.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 6, 8, 11, 12 and 16; Franchise Agreement §§2.1–2.3, 5.1–5.4 and 6.4–6.14. Consumer channel details are summarized in the official customer FAQ.
What does Item 20 show about the operating network?
At November 30, 2025, the U.S. Papa Murphy’s system contained 1,014 outlets: 965 franchised and 49 company-owned. The operating model is therefore implemented primarily by franchisees, although the total U.S. footprint declined from 1,127 outlets at the end of 2023 to 1,014 at the end of 2025.
U.S. outlet composition
Exact Item 20 counts at November 30, 2025
Interpretation: operating execution sits overwhelmingly with franchisees, but Item 20 also records a three-year contraction in the total outlet base, so current market density and store-level support should be verified by location.
Source: 2026 Papa Murphy’s International LLC FDD, Item 20, Table 1, p. 58. Reconciliation: 965 + 49 = 1,014; rounded percentages total 100.0%. Item 19’s 947-store performance population uses a separate 52-week eligibility test and is not the Item 20 outlet total.
Which operating details still require store-specific verification?
The FDD defines the control structure but not every current vendor, delivery boundary, staffing schedule or Operations Manual specification. A buyer should reconcile those requirements with the proposed location, current agreements and designated systems.
- Supplier file: identify every current approved, designated and sole-source vendor; the products each controls; delivery frequency; substitute rules; and any affiliate relationship.
- Technology stack: obtain the current POS System, payment gateway, firewall, connectivity, online-order, delivery, loyalty and reporting specifications, including upgrade and data-access obligations.
- Local workflow: model actual shift roles and scheduling for the proposed order mix. The 2026 FDD defines functions and management requirements but does not prescribe a universal employee count.
- Channel geography: map the approved site, Advertising Coverage Area, local cooperative, delivery coverage and any multi-area account opportunities without treating any of them as an exclusive territory.
- Manual changes: compare the March 27, 2026 disclosure against the current Operations Manual, menu, food-safety program, required promotions and technology notices delivered before signing.
Public context appears on the official Papa Murphy’s franchise website; operating obligations remain governed by the Franchise Agreement and current Operations Manual.
Operating-model synthesis
Papa Murphy’s converts customer orders into fresh, uncooked meals that guests finish at home. The franchisee’s central responsibility is store execution—crew, food preparation, inventory, service, records and compliance—under a Franchise Owner or Certified Manager. Papa Murphy’s International LLC controls the menu, approved supply chain, POS System, Customer Data and Electronic Communication Systems. The approved site and Advertising Coverage Area are not an exclusive territory. The largest unresolved question is the current vendor, technology and staffing configuration for the proposed market.
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