Papa John's Pizza owns 5000 restaurants around the world and is looking to set up shop in New Zealand.

Global pizza chain Papa John's wants to open 100 restaurants in New Zealand.

From Chile to Cyprus there are more than 5000 Papa John's pizza restaurants in 45 countries and New Zealand could get a taste as soon as next year.

Papa John's international business development manager Erin Snyder said the chain was looking for developers to open the stores.



"We are targeting a total development potential of approximately 100 units for the entire country," she said.



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"Typically it takes nine months from the time we sign a development agreement to open a store. Therefore 2017 is not possible, 2018 maybe, if we find a strong candidate."

CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX NZ Domino's general manager Scott Bush would not comment on what Papa John's in New Zealand could mean for his business.

Papa John's differentiated itself from its competitors by placing a pepperoncini pepper in every pizza box.

But apart from that, it's just pizza. With Pizza Hut, Domino's and Hell's already prominent forces, do Kiwis have the appetite to support another chain?

University of Canterbury associate professor Ekant Veer said Kiwis have a love of fast food, but a fourth pizza chain was risky business.

"One hundred stores – that's a lot. We've already got Pizza Hut, Domino's at that low end line. We've got Hell's pizza which takes that upper end, and then we've got the various restaurateurs.

"I don't think New Zealanders are as closely aligned with pizzas to set up 100 stores," Veer said.

Fast food was on of the biggest spending categories for most New Zealanders, he said.

SUPPLIED Hell's has tried to cater to a growing number of Kiwis watching what they eat with the new Saviour pizza, the first to receive a four-star health rating.

"Cheap and nasty seems to be the way we like to eat out.

"There's still space for good fast food but directly competing with other fast food places is probably not the way to do it," Veer said.

But New Zealand is a small market, with a population the size of a large Australian city. Even homegrown chains like Burger Fuel opened in Dubai before Christchurch.



Pizza Hut has 93 restaurants, Domino's 114, and about Hell's 66 in New Zealand.



Restaurant Brands' sales from its Pizza Huts were up 6.4 per cent last year to $92 million.



Domino's last year indicated it would almost double the number of Australian and New Zealand stores over the next 10 years.

MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS Papa John's may be entering an already saturated pizza market in New Zealand.

Domino's New Zealand general manager Scott Bush declined to answer questions on what Papa John's entrance into the New Zealand market could mean for his chain.

Founder of Hell's pizza Callum Davies said his stores were going strong and he would welcome another competitor into the market.

"I think I've heard them (Papa John's) say that previously a few times, but competition is great so the more the merrier," Davies said.

But while Kiwis may line up around the block when a new food chain opens, our favourite fast food remains fish and chips.

About 1.7 million Kiwis ate the classic take away meal in February – an 11 per cent increase over two years according to a Nielsen survey.

McDonald's, KFC, sushi, Chinese, and Subway were preferred over Domino's and Pizza Hut.

Will other US fast food chains follow?

Taco Bell

The Mexican food operator has restaurants in nine countries but it doesn't look like it's heading south.

Restaurant Brands owns the right to operate Taco Bell in Hawaii. But not New Zealand.

Taco Bell spokeswoman Richa Anand said there were no plans to offer the Mexican food here.

Chipotle and Chick-fil-A

The Mexican chain and chicken sandwich chains did not respond to questions asking if they planned to come down down-under.