A national pizza chain is targeting Belle Haven’s Kings Crossing Shopping Center for its next Fairfax location.
Permits have been filed to install a Papa Johns location in the shopping center, nestled into a space next to anchor tenant Walmart.
Previously occupied by a tax preparation service, the storefront appears to have been vacant since at least June 2021, based on Google Maps image archives.
The 1,100-square-foot space had previously been subdivided from the neighboring Capital MMA & Elite Fitness sometime between 2014 and 2017, making it the smallest unit within the shopping center.
No targeting opening timeline has been made publicly available. A request for comment sent to a spokesperson for Papa Johns went unanswered by press time.
The pizzeria joins the likes of Charleys Philly Steaks, Panda Express and Sarku Japan among the shopping center’s quick-service eateries.
Founded in the 1980s by John Schnatter, Papa Johns has grown into the fourth-largest pizza chain in the U.S. by annual sales, according to food service industry researcher Technomic. Its portfolio features more than 5,000 stores worldwide, including stores in Fairfax City, Vienna, Chantilly, Centreville, Burke and more.
The company rebranded in 2021, dropping an apostrophe and the word “pizza” from its name and updating the design of its restaurants.
Papa Johns previously became the subject of controversy after Schnatter criticized NFL players who were protesting police violence by kneeling during the national anthem and later allegedly used the n-word during a conference call. Schnatter stepped down as the company’s CEO and chairman after both incidents.
