What Is The Shaq Pizza At Papa John's?

Convenience combined with affordability is a major draw for prospective hungry customers, and that's why Papa John's is so beloved: The chain often rivals even local pizzerias for value, especially when you're trying to feed a family or large group of people. However, despite building an empire around fast food pizza, Papa John's has been struggling financially in recent years. As such, the chain has been making some moves in order to make a comeback.

A month ago, Papa John's announced the return of the Shaq-a-Roni Pizza, a popular crossover menu item done in collaboration with former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal. Essentially, this pizza is an extra-large, 16-inch crust with over half a pound of cheese and 60 slices of pepperoni. It's 25% bigger than a regular large pepperoni pizza at Papa John's and it comes at a base price of just $12.99, with customizations available upon request for extra charges. Why is the pizza named after Shaq, you may be wondering? That's simple: He came up with it. The basketball player is actually a franchisee of multiple Papa John's locations.

This is actually Shaq's sixth year doing this collaboration with Papa John's, much to the approval of hungry customers. The pizza has proven popular throughout the years, partially due to the celebrity branding but also due to the extra cheese and pepperoni for a reasonable price. But there's another reason to opt for a Shaq-a-Roni: For every one sold, Papa John's donates $1 to the Papa John's Foundation, which focuses on youth leadership and food insecurity. "It's not just about great pizza — I'm proud that every pizza sold helps support the communities we serve," O'Neal said of the successful collaboration (via Business Wire).

What other fast food chains has Shaq dabbled in? While he has since divested his stake, at one point he owned more than 155 Five Guys franchises (and he's not the only sports star in this game — famous golfer Phil Mickelson owns a bunch of Five Guys restaurants). Shaq also has Auntie Anne's and Krispy Kreme locations, and he's the majority owner of Big Chicken. He's best known for his Papa John's partnership, however, and he's likely raised a tidy sum for the company's foundation over the past half-decade.