Papa John's International Inc. already has more than 3,600 restaurants operating in 32 countries around the world today and now the Russian-area developer of Papa John's pizza, WorldWide Papa's, plans to expand the brand in that nation by adding 40 new stores in just three years. All new stores will offer delivery, take-out and family-style dine-in components.

According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, Darrin Stock, CEO of WorldWide Papa's, hopes to make Papa John's the largest pizza franchise in the St. Petersburg area by 2012. The WorldWide Papa's arm opened its first unit in St. Petersburg in 2005 and its fifth restaurant is scheduled to open in early 2011. The long-term plans also include the opening of an additional 200 new Papa John's stores in the area by 2020.