Papa Johns Is Testing Protein Pizza Crust

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but protein is all the rage. Yes, it’s been in our food since day one, but over the last couple of years, it feels like nobody can get enough of this nutrient—and in the world’s unstoppable desire to get some sick gains, bro, food companies and chains have responded in full force. Nowadays, you can’t move for protein bars (which we’ve taste-tested) and protein powders (which we’ve also taste-tested, naturally), as well as high-protein puddings, snacks, frozen meals, and everything in between.

Now, it looks like we’re getting high-protein fast food, too. Papa Johns has recently announced that it’s testing a new Protein Crust Pizza made with a high-protein base, with the whole thing clocking in at up to 55 grams of the nutrient. Here’s everything we know about it.

Papa Johns Protein Pizza Will Come in Two Different Flavors

The pizza chain announced its Protein Crust Pizza in a press release on the Papa Johns website. SVP of Brand Marketing Shivram Vaideeswaran explained its rationale for doing so: “People are thinking differently about how their favorite foods fit into their wellness-driven lifestyles,” Vaideeswaran said. “The demand for meals that are satisfying and protein-packed has never been higher. This drop gives our most loyal fans a first taste of what we’ve been working on, and if they love it, they might see it on the menu soon.”

As for the pizzas themselves, Papa Johns is starting its high-protein journey with two different personal 8-inch options. Its high-protein meat choice (called, very appropriately, “The Meats”) has sausage, pepperoni, and a six-cheese blend consisting of mozzarella, provolone, fontina, asiago, parmesan, and romano cheeses. Its veggie option (which is dubbed—you guessed it!—“The Veggie) is topped with green peppers, mushrooms, and onions, with the same wealth of cheeses. The cheese and meat add a lot of protein, of course, but it’s the high-protein base that boosts things: Each boosted crust has 23 grams per serving.

The Protein-Packed Papa Johns Pizzas Were Trialled for a Single Day

So, when can you get these pizzas? Sadly, we have no idea yet—and it’s too close to tell whether people will actually want them. Papa Johns trialled its two high-protein pizzas for just one day (Wednesday January 21) at a single store in Atlanta, to gauge interest in them. If they were a hit, there’s every chance they’ll be rolled out more widely.

Given the ingredients, though, it’s hard to tell whether people will actually view these as the balanced option that Papa Johns is touting them as. After all, pizzas are generally fairly protein-rich anyway, and there are few people out there who consider the type that Papa Johns makes healthy… So, can they really reinvent the wheel here? We’ll just have to wait to find out, but considering the unstoppable rise of protein in literally every food, we can see their reasoning here.