Pizza night usually takes two stops: one for dinner, and one for dessert. Soon, in a few towns, it could take one. Papa Murphy’s, which sells pizzas you bake at home, is teaming up with its sister brand Pinkberry to sell pizza and frozen yogurt under the same roof. It sounds like an easy win for hungry families. But there is a business story behind it, and it starts with a chain that has been shrinking.
The plan is small for now. Papa Murphy’s signed three franchise agreements to open co-branded restaurants with Pinkberry, a premium frozen yogurt brand. Both brands belong to the same parent company, MTY Group. Franchisees are local owners who pay to run a restaurant under a brand’s name. Papa Murphy’s announced the deal on Oct. 7, and the three locations are in different states. This is a test, not a nationwide rollout.
Three towns will get the first locations. The first, in Sunriver, Oregon, is expected to open in early November. A second is coming in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where an owner will add Pinkberry to his existing Papa Murphy’s. A third, in West Haven, Utah, is planned for summer 2027. If you live near one, you could be among the first to try it. For the owners, the appeal is mostly about money…