Papa John's, Pasadena

"Better Ingredients. Better Pizza." By sticking to this motto throughout the years, Papa John's expanded from a back-tavern pizzeria into more than 3,500 restaurants within three decades—the amount of time it takes, coincidentally, to grow a single building from a small seed.

Today, Papa John's franchises live up to the company's slogan every day by crafting quality pizza. Made from high-protein flour, the fresh dough supports a crown of colorful produce, which mingles with the sun-soaked sweetness of sauce made from California-grown tomatoes. Some combinations edge toward classics that the company's founder, John Schnatter, no doubt made early on, while others reflect evolving tastes, like the Bacon Cheeseburger and Hawaiian BBQ Chicken pizzas, which eschew traditional tomato sauce altogether.