Papa John's Thanks the Troops for Their Service with USO Meal Deal and Pizza Party Celebration

Pizza lovers throughout the country can join Papa John’s in thanking the brave men and women of the US armed forces for their service through a special USO Meal Deal. Beginning today, customers can go to www.papajohns.com and use the promo code “USOMealDeal” to order two large, two-topping pizzas for $22, with $1 from every order going back to the USO. The offer is valid through Thursday, May 30.

John Schnatter, (front row right) founder, chairman and CEO of Papa John's, and Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, will compete in a drag race as part of a special pizza party celebration for 10,000 troops and family members Sunday at the zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: Business Wire)

“This is a great way for all of America to show its appreciation for the service of the brave men and women of the US military,” said John Schnatter, Papa John’s founder, chairman and CEO. “Our goal is to raise $50,000 to support the USO, which is a wonderful organization that supports military members and their families.”

Papa John’s also is hosting a special pizza party celebration for 10,000 troops and family members on Sunday at the zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. In addition to free Papa John’s pizza, the event, which will be emceed by CNN’s Robin Meade, will feature a free concert by country music artist Jamie Tate, with special appearances by Lt. Col. Oliver North (Ret.), Willie Robertson of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, and several NASCAR drivers, including Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle.

The celebration will conclude with a drag race between Schnatter, driving his beloved 1972 Z28 Camaro, and Charlotte Motor Speedway President Marcus Smith. This is the third-consecutive year the two will race, this year vying for the tongue-in-cheek Golden Hubcap trophy.

“We’ll be serving 3,000 pizzas this Sunday to salute our brave troops and their families,” said Schnatter. “We want to thank them for protecting our freedom and let them know their sacrifices are truly appreciated each and every day. The drag race with my good friend Marcus will be a thrilling way to conclude an exciting event.”

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third largest pizza company. For 11 of the past 13 years, consumers have rated Papa John’s No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John’s is the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League and Super Bowl XLVII. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PapaJohns, or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PapaJohns.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130524005467/en/