For the first time since its sale to MTY Group, Papa Murphy’s has a single brand leader.
Nik Rupp, who has overseen finance for the take-and-bake pizza chain since coming to the company in 2018, was named chief operating officer for Papa Murphy’s.
“Since the acquisition of Papa Murphy’s, the division was run by a committee of five incredible members, one of which was Mr. Rupp,” Eric Lefebvre, CEO of MTY, said in a statement. “The time now has come to name a leader for the group.”
U.S. system sales at Papa Murphy’s rose 1.5% in 2021, according to data from the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Average unit volumes rose 4.7%, while unit count declined by 4.1%. The brand operates just less than 1,300 locations, nearly all of them in the U.S. and owned by franchisees.
Rupp joined Papa Murphy’s in 2018 as chief financial officer and he continued to be the brand’s finance chief after the sale. Before Papa Murphy’s, he’d worked for companies such as Specialized Bicycle Components and Nike Golf.
“Mr. Rupp brings a lot of experience and credibility with our franchise partners and our team, and as such he has emerged as a natural leader for that division,” Lefebvre said.
Papa Murphy’s is the largest holding of MTY Group, which is based in Montreal and which owns numerous brands, including U.S. concepts Cold Stone Creamery and Pinkberry as well as dozens of largely mall-based concepts in Canada.
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