PAPA JOHN’S, DOMINO’S U.S. GROWTH COOLS AS COVID BUMP EASES

Pizza — the unofficial meal of 2020 for many locked-down consumers — has finally slowed its meteoric rise. Papa John’s International Inc. and Domino’s Pizza Inc. on Thursday both reported same-store sales growth that missed estimates in the u.s. Although the two chains both logged increases, the rate of growth is slowing as indoor dining resumes across the country. u.s. company-owned Papa John’s restaurants reported a 10.2-per-cent bump in same-store sales in the fourth quarter, below the estimate of 11.6 per cent compiled by Consensus Metrix and less than half the growth recorded at the height of the u.s. stay-at-home orders. by the same metric, rival domino’s sales rose 8.1 per cent, less than the 12.9-per-cent estimate. Systemwide sales also missed expectations for both chains in their home markets.