Papa Murphy’s Doubles Its Expansion in Alabama with Development Commitment from Existing Franchisee; Company Named Fastest Growing Fast-Food Chain in the State

VANCOUVER, Wash., March 22, 2016 -- Papa Murphy’s Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRSH) announced today it signed expanded store development agreements with Waterman Acquisition Company, LLC to develop an additional 12 new Papa Murphy’s pizza stores in Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama and two stores in Raleigh, North Carolina over the next four years. Currently there are 42 Papa Murphy’s stores located in Alabama and North Carolina.

According to a recent study by AggData, Papa Murphy’s is the fastest growing chain in Alabama with a 43 percent growth rate in the area. Waterman owner and area developer Boyd Simpson, a franchise owner with Papa Murphy’s since 2011, said, “After experiencing significant growth with our Papa Murphy’s stores in these markets over the last five years, I knew it was time to expand our portfolio and add these additional locations. This expanded agreement reinforces my belief in the strength of the brand, the quality of the product and the company’s commitment to first-class service.”

The deal with Waterman modifies existing area development agreements and increases the store count from 12 to 24 in Huntsville and Birmingham Alabama and from 10 to 12 units in the portion of Raleigh, North Carolina operated by Waterman. This increases Waterman’s development commitment by 14 units bringing the total number of stores to be developed by Waterman to 36 across Huntsville/Birmingham, Alabama and Raleigh, North Carolina territories. Waterman is the exclusive developer in Huntsville, where it operates 12 stores and in Birmingham, where it operates eight stores. It also operates nine stores in a territory within the Raleigh designated market area where other franchise owners also operate stores and there are additional opportunities for new owners.

According to Jayson Tipp, chief development officer and senior vice president of technology, the expansion in the southern U.S. signals the company’s commitment to expanding its brand across the country and bringing its signature take-and-bake, fresh pizza model to underserved markets. “Consumers are attracted to our brand because of our commitment to customer service, high quality products that make meal preparation for families easy with our bake-at-home model,” Tipp said. “In addition, the recent launch of a new online ordering system allows customers to create their own fresh pizza online and the convenience to pick up their order in-store when they want, is already creating new sales opportunities and providing new ways to engage with customers.”

To find a Papa Murphy’s location nearest you and order fresh and customizable offerings online, please visit www.papamurphys.com. To connect with Papa Murphy’s through Facebook visit www.facebook.com/papamurphyspizza or Twitter and Instagram at @PapaMurphys #LoveAt425.   

About Papa Murphy’s

Papa Murphy's Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:FRSH) is a franchisor and operator of the largest Take ‘N' Bake pizza chain in the United States, selling fresh, hand-crafted pizzas ready for customers to bake at home. The company was founded in 1981 and currently operates more than 1,500 franchised and corporate-owned fresh pizza stores in 38 States, Canada and United Arab Emirates. Papa Murphy's core purpose is to bring all families together through food people love with a goal to create fun, convenient and fulfilling family dinners. In addition to scratch-made pizzas, the company offers a growing menu of grab 'n' go items, including salads, sides and desserts.

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