All that Magdi Zakher wanted was equipment. 

A Papa John’s franchise owner with two locations in the Monterey area, Zakher had found out that a restaurant in Manteca that had recently closed could have been a treasure trove for outfitting his two successful restaurants and made the trip over from the coast with the intention of stocking up. 

He had no idea that he’d be staying. 

“We came in and looked around and realized that it was a beautiful community and that it was a great opportunity,” Zakher said. “We bought into the franchise seven years ago because we were looking for an investment opportunity, and we’ve been very happy with the process and the experience so far. 

“We’re looking forward to being a part of the Manteca community.”

And community is one of the main reasons that Zakher enjoys being in business for himself. 

Part of the success of his two beachside restaurants, he said, hinges on the fact that he’s able to host fundraisers and partner with community organizations that he believes in – providing a win-win opportunity that both brings in business and generates revenue for non-profits. 

Having that sort of selection and freedom, he said, is what makes the job, and being his own boss, worthwhile. 

But it takes work. 

Just because he has nobody that looks over his shoulder doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have to go to work every morning. He had dozens of people that depend on him for providing revenue and income for their respective families. He’s hiring 16 workers in Manteca. 

Better ingredients, he said, does in fact make a better pizza, and he has no doubt that the people of Manteca will have no discovering just that. 

“We put quality into everything that we make and customers realize that – it’s what they expect when they call up Papa John’s and order a pizza,” he said. “We want to give the customer the best product that we can, and Papa John’s gives us the support to be able to do that.

“Everything is fresh and it fits in perfectly with the way that we want to run a business, and we’re looking forward to building a strong base of repeat customers.”

Papa John’s Pizza is located at 1248 W. Lathrop Ave and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to midnight. The business will hold its re-grand opening today at 11 a.m. with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting and weekend giveaways including the possibility of winning free pizza for a year. Stockton radio station KWIN will also be doing a live satellite broadcast on Saturday. For additional information, or to place an order, call 209.629.8813