Papa Murphy’s, one of America’s best-known take-and-bake pizza chains, is closing up to 50 of its corporate-owned locations across the United States. The announcement came from MTY Food Group, the Canadian restaurant conglomerate that owns Papa Murphy’s, during its second quarter 2026 earnings call. MTY CEO Eric Lefebvre confirmed that between 45 and 50 Papa Murphy’s stores are among the 68 total corporate owned locations the company plans to shut down in the coming months. The closures began rolling out the week of July 13 and are expected to take six to nine months to complete. Here is everything you need to know about why this is happening and what it means for customers.
Why Is Papa Murphy’s Closing So Many Locations?Â
MTY Food Group CEO Eric Lefebvre said the company decided to close stores that were performing much worse than the rest of the chain. He explained that each location was reviewed based on its sales, future potential and overall financial performance. Stores that still had a chance to improve will continue operating, while those with poor long term prospects are being shut down. Lefebvre also said the pizza business has become highly competitive, making it difficult for Papa Murphy’s. According to him, many customers choose whichever pizza is the cheapest rather than staying loyal to one brand, which has hurt the company’s sales.
The closures come as MTY Food Group faces weaker financial results. In the second quarter of 2026, the company reported 279.9 million Canadian dollars in revenue, an 8.2 percent decline compared with the same period last year. The company said the drop was partly due to having fewer company-owned restaurants.MTY Food Group owns several restaurant brands across the US and Canada, including Cold Stone Creamery, Blimpie, Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Planet Smoothie. As of November 2025, Papa Murphy’s operated 1,014 stores across 34 US states, including 965 franchised outlets and 49 company owned locations.
How Is Papa Murphy’s Different From Other Pizza Chains?Â
Papa Murphy’s stands out from mainstream pizza chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut because of its take-and-bake model. Customers visit the store, order their pizza, and are handed an uncooked pizza to take home and bake themselves. This model made Papa Murphy’s popular for a certain type of customer but also limits its appeal compared to delivery first competitors who offer hot, ready to eat food. In a market where promotions and discounts are driving customer decisions, the take and bake format has made it harder for Papa Murphy’s to compete on convenience.
Which States Have Papa Murphy’s Locations That Could Be Affected?Â
Papa Murphy’s currently operates in 34 US states, covering a wide geographic spread. These states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. MTY has not yet specified which individual locations within these states will close, so customers who regularly visit a Papa Murphy’s should check with their local store for updates.
When Will The Papa Murphy’s Closures Happen?Â
The closure process began the week of July 13, 2026, and is expected to roll out over a period of six to nine months, meaning all closures should be completed by early 2027 at the latest. Because the closures are happening on a rolling basis rather than all at once, the exact last day of operation varies by location. If your local Papa Murphy’s is among those marked for closure, you have between now and early 2027 to visit before it shuts permanently.
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