People React to Papa John's New 'Papa Bowls,' the Crustless Pizza Nobody Asked For

Ada Elder

Aug 18, 2022 3:00 PM EDT

Fast food brands love to pat themselves on the back for their so-called innovations. And most of the time, the self-congratulations are completely unwarranted. We're talking KFC's 'Double Down,' Taco Bell's misguided foray into the chicken world, and Panera's grilled mac and cheese sandwich. Yesterday, the world got a taste of another unnecessary menu item that will probably be discontinued before the year is through: The Papa John's Papa Bowl.

The Papa John's 'Papa Bowl' isn't a bowl-a-thon for Dad's; nay, it's a product that features all your favorite toppings and none of the crust. The trays, which are 7.99 each, resemble Lean Cuisine's sad frozen meals, and appear to exist to entice people on gluten-free or low-carb diets. Instead, the company claims it's their response to "pizza fatigue," a condition brought on by lack of options during a pandemic. I, for one, don't buy it. As much as I like escapist chain pizza, I can see why the company might see less growth. And it's not because people have stopped eating pizza. It's because their pizza is not that good.

I'm not the only person raising their eyebrows at this curious new menu item. Twitter has been having a field day (and night) with the news, mocking both the bowl and John Schnatter, the troubled man behind the fast-food pizza giant. Hell, some people on the site are posting their own reviews of the maligned toppings-fests.

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It doesn't seem like the jury has had to deliberate much on this issue, but let's face the sad truth: Americans will absolutely buy troughs of cheese when given the chance. Maybe PJ's is onto something.