Which pizza chain began in 1981 as Papa Aldo's Pizza?

The pizza chain that began in 1981 as Papa Aldo’s Pizza is Papa Murphy’s.

Papa Murphy’s traces its history to Papa Aldo’s Pizza, founded in Hillsboro, Oregon, in 1981. It was not initially created under the Papa Murphy’s name. The modern chain emerged after Papa Aldo’s was combined with another take-and-bake company, Murphy’s Pizza, which began in Petaluma, California, in 1984.

The two businesses were later acquired and consolidated, producing the Papa Murphy’s brand. Its signature format is take-and-bake pizza: customers buy a pizza assembled in the store but bake it at home. That model differs from restaurant chains that bake pizzas before customers collect them.

The “Papa” in Papa Murphy’s can therefore cause a common mix-up with Papa John’s, but the companies have different origins. Papa Murphy’s lineage runs through Papa Aldo’s and Murphy’s Pizza, while Papa John’s is a separate chain. Papa Murphy’s was later acquired by Canadian food company MTY Food Group in 2019.