In which Indiana city did the first Papa John's restaurant open in 1984?

The first Papa John’s restaurant opened in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in 1984.

Founder John Schnatter began the business in his father’s tavern, Mick’s Lounge, in Jeffersonville. He converted a broom closet at the back of the tavern into a tiny pizza operation and installed used equipment purchased after selling his 1971 Camaro Z28 for $1,600. At first, he sold pizzas to the tavern’s customers rather than operating a large standalone restaurant.

The pizzas became popular enough that Schnatter moved into an adjoining space the following year. This modest beginning is why the company’s origin is often described as a broom-closet startup. Jeffersonville is in southern Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, which later became closely associated with the company’s headquarters and corporate history.

The city can be confused with Louisville because of that regional connection, but the first Papa John’s operation was in Jeffersonville. The chain expanded rapidly afterward: it went public in 1993, reached 500 stores a year later, and had 1,500 stores by 1997.