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Fields Corner gets crusty over proposed Papa John's

The Dorchester Reporter updates us on opposition to a proposed Papa John's francise on Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner, not because of the quality of the pizza as because it's an out-of-state business rather than something more homegrown - such as Antonio's Hi-Fi Pizza across the street. The proposed franchisee, though, is a Dorchester resident.

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Comments

Same city upset about . . . checks notes . . . closure of chain pharamacies.

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Voting closed 20

One sells life-saving medications, the other sells pizza-like circles.

And nobody's talking about pizza deserts in Boston.

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Voting closed 44

as the Codman Square opposition to fast food per se. Let the people decide what to eat, and let people in business generate revenue to pay rent and hire other people.

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Voting closed 23

... theyre deciding they dont want papa johns.

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Voting closed 32

I can't see how this business will survive. But I am still salty about not getting a popeyes.

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Voting closed 19

Papa Johns hasn't had good luck in this area. Either with bad franchisers or people just not interested in it.

I was a huge PJ fan when I lived in Atlanta in the 1990s, cuz they started there and at the time everywhere down there. I was picky about pizza I ate because I worked in a pizza shop in HS, and I would eat Papa John's.

Because back then it was fresh ingredients, fresh dough, freshy made.. good stuff. Now its all prepackaged stuff cuz someone decided they needed their balance sheet to look better so they cut costs.

When they first came to Boston in 2008, I was so excited. I've ordered a few times from a few different locations just to make sure my experience was the same.. and it was. It was some of the grossest pizza I've ever had. Soggy, Dougy, Sauce was gross.. either I became a pizza snob in the 10 years I had lived here so far.. or it was just gross.

No it was just gross. With much better pizza options, I cannot see how this will survive.

Edit: Don't say "its affordable" because it is not. Check out pizza prices these days.. you can't touch a large 2 topping pizza for under 15 bucks now. It used to be around 10.

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Voting closed 26

They had two things going for it:

1) Online ordering (none of the 12 zillion Westie/Rozzie pizza places had it when they opened)

2) A delicious apple dessert (at first basically an apple pizza then something else which I forget)

Oh, I put "restaurant" in quotes because all it had was a counter to order/pick up pizzas - I don't think they even had seats.

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Voting closed 13

The proper wording for these places is "Store" instead of "Restaurant"

You usually say "Store".

In fact most fast food places use this term. I recall the term 'store' being in all the training materials I had at McD, Krispy, and KFC. I remember this because I found it odd to call it a 'store'.. but it really is.

And yeah they do not have seats.. its all counter service and take-away.

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Voting closed 11

We were there from Jan 1990 to Oct 1997 (halfway between Tucker and Stone Mountain). Never ate Papa Johns pizza so far as I recall. (In our rare restaurant excursions we tended to go for "ethnic food"). I am sure we did get pizza from time to time -- but not a clue where. We did more pizza investigating once we moved here...

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Voting closed 13

I lived in Cobb and hung out with kids from Cobb. Cobb County had several of them.

The only pizza I ever remember eating was PJ's in Atlanta. I don't even remember going to PizzaHut or Dominos.

Well other than CiCi's which my stomach protested after eating. So never again.

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Voting closed 12

You musta at at Mellow Mushroom at least once... I mean outside of CiCi's, PJ's, or Domino's.. that was where you got pizza in Atlanta. I know they had a few outlets outside of Midtown and in the burbs like Stone Mountain.

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Voting closed 9

I suspect that if there had been an Uno's near us somewhere, we would have gone there (having come from Chicago where Uno's was still quite good).

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Enough said.

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Voting closed 41

Every business in Dorchester that serves food needs a little competition. It’s cheaper to eat a meal in Rekjavik.

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It is more a reaction to chain restaurants than competition.

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Voting closed 23

"Papa" John Schnatter is no longer affiliated with Papa John's. The pizza is still the pizza, though.

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If the Franchisee wants to open, pay taxes, pass inspections, serve good enough food to make some money, employee local people, is that not what America is about?

If another local Pizza person can open and do it on their own which can be more work and expense you have a choice to patronize that person, choice is a good thing.

I used to like Ernie's on Bowdoin Street past Abelow's Furniture but that are not coming back.

Pizza for all by everyone......

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Voting closed 22

No one who opens a franchise like Papa John’s cares about anything other than making money. They are not interested in creating decent jobs or serving a good product. Papa John’s does not offer those things.

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Voting closed 26

...you won't have jobs for long.

I don't believe franchisers have a lock on greediness or mediocre product. There's plenty of locals who possess those qualities quite well.

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Voting closed 12

If your workers can't pay rent and bills, then the taxpayers fund food stamps, utility subsidies and housing. This is the dishonesty of letting the market set the wages.

It is kind of crazy that all pay for housing with a kitchen that we barely use. If the minimum wage is raised then many restaurants will close. Because the current amount of restaurants is unsustainably supported by taxpayers. It is not natural.

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Voting closed 11

What gets me about John Schnatter is back in the 90s when he was building this up, he came into a store I was at where a buddy worked. At the time, my impression of him was that he was smart, kinda hunky, and seemed to care about the business.

There's an old saying "Money Corrupts" and this is John Schnatter in a nutshell. Money corrupted him. That and too much plastic surgery. Went from a good looking guy to having more plastic in him than a Tupperware party has.

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Voting closed 22

I wish it was another nail salon

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Voting closed 26

I think we need more banks or froyo shops

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Voting closed 18

Now you have to be 3rd generation to be able to open a business in Boston?? The ego of this city is incredible.

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Voting closed 16

How is the Papa John's east of Oak Square, which has been there for a while? I've never visited that store or any PJ, I'm familiar with it from riding by on the 57 bus.

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Voting closed 12

Ah, the Menino Principle.

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What was the name of the pizza place in The Garage on the mezzanine? Cave Aventura? Pizzeria Aventura? Best pizza I’ve ever had in Ma. They also had a stand in Harvard Square Station. The place that was (is?) near the movie theater on the common had equivalent quality slices. (Best pizza ever? Alberto’s on Morse Ave in Roger’s Park, Ill.

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Voting closed 12

...if I recall. And it was indeed very good, always a decent slice.

The place that was (is?) near the movie theater on the common had equivalent quality slices.

New York Pizza on Tremont?

My favorite slice in Boston was Little Steve's. A good slice and a slice of life. RIP.

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Voting closed 6