NewsUS NewsPizzaPapa Johns International, which offers pizza delivery and takeout, has closed locations across 17 US states to date this year and it previously announced up to 300 stores could be shut06:55, 11 Jun 2026Updated 06:56, 11 Jun 2026An American pizza chain has closed dozens of restaurants across the US just months after announcing the closure of hundreds of locations this year.‌Papa Johns International, which offers pizza delivery and takeout, has closed locations across 17 US states to date this year. It had 3,487 locations in North America as of the end of March, most of which are franchised.‌In February, the company said it would close up to 300 locations through the end of 2027. Two-thirds of those closures expected this year.‌Papa Johns has been struggling with declining sales for several reasons, including changing consumer tastes away from pizza, rising operating costs and increasingly price-sensitive diners.Rival Pizza Hut has also closed several locations and its parent company, Yum Brands, now said to be exploring a sale of the chain.‌Papa Johns logged a 2% decline in North American same-store sales, according to its 2025 annual report. North American same-store sales has fallen another 6.4% for the first quarter of this year, Fast Company reported.Shares of Papa Johns International are down roughly 21% year to date, a contrast to the broader S&P 500, which is up almost 8% during that period.Over the last five years, the pizza chain's stock price has plummeted almost 70%.‌More than 40 Papa Johns locations appear to have closed so far this year, Fast Company reported. The following US states have seen closures of Papa John's locations:Alabama - one locationArizona - four locationsCalifornia - five locationsColorado - one locationFlorida - five locationsGeorgia - one locationIllinois - one locationMichigan - two locationsMissouri - one locationNorth Carolina - three locationsNew York - one locationOhio - one locationOklahoma - one locationSouth Carolina - one locationTexas - 12 locationsVirginia - two locationsWisconsin - one locationArticle continues belowPapa Johns has not announced which locations it has targeted for closure as part of its transformation plan, nor has it said how many jobs could be lost.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌PizzaFast Company Inc.S&P CompanyPizza Hut Inc.Food