Vish Talreja has taken on the role of director of property and development at Papa John’s, overseeing the brand’s portfolio of more than 450 restaurants across the UK. In an interview, Talreja discussed his approach to expanding the pizza chain, emphasizing the importance of operational alignment and strategic site selection.
Talreja’s path to the role began in quick-service restaurant operations, where he recognized the value of integrating property decisions with operational needs. “A store’s success is largely determined before it opens,” he explained. “Stores work extremely hard to bring customers in, but if you plan a store properly from the start, with the right location, the right customer in mind, the right operational vision, a sensible rent bill and a strong design, then everything that follows is set up for success.” This philosophy shaped his work at Itsu, where he helped shift the brand from a London-centric model to nationwide expansion.
Strategic Expansion Beyond Prime Locations
At Itsu, Talreja learned that prime shopping centers are highly competitive, with rents trending upward and market saturation limiting growth opportunities. Instead, the brand explored secondary regional towns and university locations, leveraging customer demand and adapting operational strategies to new markets. “Operations could recruit better in secondary regional towns and university locations,” he noted. “A London-centric lunchtime business could become an evening business elsewhere.”
For Papa John’s, this translates to protecting its core delivery and collection channels while targeting underpenetrated markets. Talreja emphasized the need to “Then it’s about looking for white space in the market and thinking ahead to the next wave of customers,” particularly as digital interactions and convenience expectations evolve.
Building Operational Partnerships
In his new role, Talreja aims to strengthen ties with operations teams to ensure property decisions align with customer experience goals. “One of my personal targets is to be best friends with operations,” he stated. During the pandemic, he observed how building individual relationships with landlords became critical, allowing Papa John’s to emerge with stronger commercial partnerships. “We came out stronger on the commercial side because we had built partnerships rather than purely transactional relationships,” he added.
Over the next 12 months, Talreja plans to deepen his understanding of the business, collaborate with franchise partners, and explore new partnerships with a wider range of landlords and property models. He praised the current leadership’s transparency, noting that the senior team’s openness about challenges reinforced his decision to join. “It’s a brand I genuinely love, and the people have been phenomenal,” he said.
Lessons from the Pandemic on Property Relationships
The pandemic taught Talreja the value of individualized landlord relationships. He observed how proactive engagement during negotiations allowed Papa John’s to secure favorable terms. “Through COVID, when negotiations were difficult for everyone, those relationships became really important,” he noted in the interview. This approach led to partnerships that extended beyond routine transactions. Talreja’s strategy now prioritizes these deeper connections to maintain stability and flexibility in a changing market.
Opportunities in Secondary Markets and Franchise Growth
Talreja sees potential in underpenetrated secondary towns, where brand demand is strong. Drawing from his experience at Itsu, he highlighted how shifting focus from prime locations to regional areas opened new avenues. This strategy aligns with evolving customer behaviors, such as evening demand in university towns previously dominated by daytime foot traffic.