The big man is back in the house -- Papa Johns’ house, that is.
This week the company announced the return of the Shaq-a-Roni pizza, along with another stint of marketing for basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal as spokesman for the product, for a limited time.
The LTO is supported by a national TV campaign featuring O’Neal.
2024 marks the 5th anniversary of the yearly Shaq-a-Roni LTO, which is extra-large pizza with extra cheese and over 60 pepperonis. The pie launched this year exclusively for Papa Rewards members beginning Oct. 14 and will be available for all customers nationwide for $12.99. beginning Oct. 21.
For every Shaq-a-Roni pizza sold, Papa John’s donates $1 to The Papa Johns Foundation. Over the last four years Shaq-a-Roni sales have generated $13.1 million for the nonprofit, which is “committed to building stronger communities through initiatives focused on youth leadership & entrepreneurship, and food insecurity,” per the brand.
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“We believe pizza brings people together. This collaboration has brought joy to pizza lovers and raised awareness about important issues impacting our communities,” said Jennifer Garner, senior director of corporate affairs and sustainability at Papa Johns. “It’s a great example of how a popular menu item can give back, combining pizza with meaningful contributions to our communities.”
This year the Shaq-a-Roni funds raised will go towards the Papa Johns Foundation’s Building Community Fund, a grant program that supports franchisees’ local community initiatives, and benefits over 250 nonprofit organizations across the U.S. with a focus on alleviating food insecurity for children, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark and Kids’ Meals, Inc. in Houston.
“It’s not just about great pizza. I’m proud that every pizza sold helps support the communities we serve,” said O’Neal, who is himself also a Papa Johns franchisee, in the announcement.