
Papa John's is a popular pizza chain known for its Better Ingredients, Better Pizza slogan. The chain has been the subject of curiosity, particularly regarding its cheese quantity and quality. The cheese used by Papa John's is supplied by Leprino Foods, which also supplies other major pizza chains like Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Little Caesars. Leprino Foods provides Papa John's with a unique blend of cheese, including mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan. The amount of cheese used varies depending on the size of the pizza, with a 10 pizza using 1 cup and a 16 pizza using 2.5 cups. The cheese is added after the sauce and toppings and spread to the crust to create a cheese ring.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese Supplier | Leprino Foods |
| Cheese Type | Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Provolone, Fontina, Asiago, Cheddar, Monterey Jack |
| Cheese Amount | 8 oz |
| Cheese Application | Spread to the crust to create a "cheese ring" |
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What You'll Learn

Papa John's cheese blend
Leprino's "Quality Locked Cheese", introduced in 1986, is a key part of the company's success. This process involves shredding and individually freezing portions of cheese, ensuring consistency and scalability. Leprino also customises its cheese for each client, troubleshooting as necessary. For example, when Pizza Hut began using a hotter conveyor oven, Leprino changed its formula to ensure the cheese wouldn't burn.
Papa John's uses a blend of cheeses unique to its brand. The cheese blend includes part-skim mozzarella cheese, made from pasteurised milk and skimmed milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes. It also contains modified food starch, cellulose to prevent caking, whey protein concentrate, and sodium citrate.
The amount of cheese used on a Papa John's pizza depends on the size and type of pizza. A 10-inch pizza uses 1 cup of cheese, a 12-inch pizza uses 1.5 cups, a 14-inch pizza uses 2 cups, and a 16-inch pizza uses 2.5 cups. An extra topping will increase the amount of cheese, and certain specialty pizzas may use different amounts.
In addition to the cheese on its pizzas, Papa John's also offers a range of dipping sauces, including BBQ, blue cheese, Buffalo, cheese, honey mustard, pizza sauce, and ranch.
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Cheese placement
Papa John's cheese placement is a crucial part of the pizza-making process and involves a specific set of steps to ensure consistency and quality. Firstly, the dough is prepared using a unique blend of ingredients, including unbleached enriched wheat flour, water, sugar, soybean oil, salt, and yeast. The dough is then rolled out with a spiked docker to prevent bubbles and achieve the desired thickness.
Once the dough is ready, the sauce and other toppings are added. The amount of cheese placed on the pizza depends on the size and type of pizza ordered. For a 10-inch pizza, 1 cup of cheese is used, while a 14-inch pizza requires 2 cups. An extra topping will result in 1.5 cups of cheese, and for a cheese-only pizza, 2.5 cups are used. The cheese is then spread evenly across the sauce and toppings, reaching all the way to the crust to create a "cheese ring."
The type of cheese used is also an important factor. Papa John's uses a blend of part-skim mozzarella cheese, which includes pasteurized milk, skim milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes. They also offer other cheese options like Parmesan, Romano, and cheddar, which can be added as toppings or used in their signature dipping sauces. The cheese placement and amount can vary slightly depending on the specific pizza variety, such as their Pan Pizza, which has a unique baking process and a caramelized crisp crust.
Overall, Papa John's cheese placement follows a precise formula that ensures a consistent and delicious product. The combination of cheese type, amount, and placement contributes to the unique taste and texture that has made Papa John's a popular pizza choice.
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Cheese quantity
Papa John's uses a specific amount of cheese on their pizzas, and this quantity can vary depending on the size of the pizza and the type of crust. According to sources, Papa John's uses approximately 8 ounces of cheese on their pizzas, which is in line with the standard quantity used by most pizza places.
For a more detailed breakdown, a Reddit user provided the following information: for an XL pizza with one topping or more, Papa John's uses 2.5 cups of cheese, and for a cheese pizza, they use 3 cups. A Large pizza with one topping or more gets 2 cups, while a cheese pizza gets 2.5 cups. The quantity decreases with the size of the pizza. For example, a 10-inch pizza gets 1 cup, a 12-inch pizza gets 1.5 cups, a 14-inch pizza gets 2 cups, and a 16-inch pizza gets 2.5 cups.
It's worth noting that these quantities may vary slightly for specialty pizzas. Additionally, Papa John's offers a "cheese ring" on their pan pizzas, where the cheese is spread all the way to the crust. This unique feature may require a slightly larger quantity of cheese compared to their other pizza varieties.
The type of cheese used by Papa John's is also an important factor. The company sources its cheese from Leprino Foods, which supplies cheese to other major pizza chains like Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Little Caesars. Leprino Foods provides Papa John's with a unique blend of cheeses that may include mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, and Monterey Jack. The specific quantities and blends of these cheeses are tailored to Papa John's specifications, ensuring a consistent and high-quality product.
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Cheese sourcing
Papa John's sources its cheese from Leprino Foods, which is the world's largest mozzarella company with sales of more than $3 billion annually. James Leprino, the owner of Leprino Foods, is a secretive billionaire who has managed to gain a monopoly over the market for pizza cheese. He supplies cheese to some of the biggest pizza chains in the world, including Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's, and Little Caesars.
Leprino Foods became the exclusive supplier for Papa John's in 1991, six years after the pizza chain was launched. The company provides Papa John's with part-skim mozzarella cheese, which is made from pasteurized milk, skim milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes. The mozzarella cheese is then shredded and individually frozen, a process known as "Quality Locked Cheese" that Leprino introduced in 1986.
In addition to mozzarella, Papa John's also offers other types of cheese as toppings, including Parmesan, Romano, provolone, Fontina, and Asiago. These cheeses are also sourced from Leprino Foods and are made with similar ingredients, including pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, and enzymes.
Leprino Foods has been able to dominate the market for pizza cheese by focusing on large pizza chains and granting each company its own specifications. The company has also invested in technology, resulting in numerous patents and a high net margin.
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Cheese quality
Papa John's uses a variety of cheeses on its pizzas, including mozzarella, parmesan, romano, cheddar, provolone, fontina, and asiago. The company sources its cheese from Leprino Foods, which also supplies cheese to other major pizza chains like Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Little Caesars.
Leprino Foods is known for its focus on quality and has a monopoly on the market for pizza cheese. The company was the first to introduce "Quality Locked Cheese", which is shredded and individually frozen, ensuring consistency and scalability. This innovation became the industry standard and made Leprino a key player in the pizza cheese market.
The amount of cheese used on a Papa John's pizza varies depending on the size and type of pizza. According to sources, a regular cheese pizza uses around 8 ounces of cheese, which is in line with the standard amount used by most pizza places. An XL pizza uses 2 and a half cups of cheese, while a large pizza uses 2 cups. The amount increases with the size of the pizza and decreases if there are multiple toppings.
In addition to the standard cheese options, Papa John's also offers a variety of dipping sauces, including BBQ, blue cheese, Buffalo, cheese, honey mustard, pizza sauce, and ranch. The chain is known for its garlic sauce, which is the most popular among customers.
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Frequently asked questions
Papa John's uses a blend of Part-skim mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, Romano, Provolone, Fontina, and Asiago cheeses.
The amount of cheese Papa John's puts on a pizza depends on the size of the pizza and the number of toppings. A 10-inch pizza has 1 cup of cheese, a 12-inch pizza has 1.5 cups, a 14-inch pizza has 2 cups, and a 16-inch pizza has 2.5 cups.
Papa John's gets their cheese from Leprino Foods, which is the world's largest mozzarella company and supplies cheese to other large pizza chains such as Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Little Caesars.
After the sauce and toppings are added, the cheese is spread all the way to the crust to create a "cheese ring."
Yes, you can get extra cheese on your Papa John's pizza. The amount of extra cheese you can get depends on the size of the pizza and the number of toppings. For example, an XL pizza with one topping would have 2.5 cups of cheese, while a large pizza with one topping would have 2 cups.


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