Papa John's takes slice of the action

THE emergence of the "big weekend in" for fans of Strictly Come Dancing and the X-Factor helped pizza firm Papa John's to report a boom in sales.

The pizza delivery and takeaway chain – which has more than 140 outlets in the UK and Ireland, including four in Scotland – yesterday said like-for-like sales rose 8.6 per cent in the final quarter of last year and by almost 10 per cent across the year as a whole. With hit shows such as X-Factor now screened on Sunday as well as Saturday nights, Papa John's said it enjoyed a number of record weekends, including its best-ever Saturday during the weekend of the X-Factor final.

UK managing director Ian Saunders said the television schedules had played a "significant part" in its strong sales figures for the fourth quarter.

It also spent a record amount on marketing in 2009 after carrying sustained television and radio campaigns for the first time.

The American company, which launched in 1984, hopes to open another 40 UK stores this year, as well as a new dough-making plant in Milton Keynes. Globally, the company has 3,400 stores spread throughout 29 countries.

John Schnatter, who founded the company, sold his beloved 1971 Chevrolet Camaro car for $2,800 (1,749) to pay for his first pizza oven.

He open his first shop in the back of a bar before opening his first standalone store in 1985.

Last year Schnatter bought back his original car for $250,000.