The case of Nadeem Bajwa is a clear example of the difficulties not only of emigrating to a completely different country but also of how effort and hard work bear fruit. In 1991, he decided to emigrate from his home country, Pakistan, to the United States to pursue his university studies at Indiana University. Today, Bajwa is 58 years old, but his journey began in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he had three jobs that allowed him to make ends meet and pay for his studies. One of these jobs was at the fast-food chain Papa John’s, where he started as a delivery driver.
By the time he finished his studies, he was already an area manager and wanted to grow even more within the company. He applied for corporate positions, but upon realizing he couldn’t get a salary higher than what Papa John’s offered, he decided to start his own business. In 2002, thanks to his family and bank loans, he opened his first Papa John’s establishment in East Liverpool, Ohio.
He made several mistakes, such as investing in marketing but not in training his employees and team, which led him to make several adjustments before continuing to open more establishments. The numbers were increasing in his favor, and after opening several more establishments, he co-founded Grupo Bajco with his two brothers, which in 2024 reached an agreement with Papa John’s to develop 50 new restaurants by 2028. In addition to this franchise, Bajwa has built and invested in adjacent businesses, so he is in a very different situation than when he first arrived in the United States.
Start from scratch
Nadeem Bajwa decided to leave his native Pakistan to try his luck in the United States, and he did so in 1991. He began his studies in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while also holding three jobs, as he stated to CNBC Make It, “My first summer, I had three jobs … washing dishes [during] breakfast, then delivering pizzas in the afternoon, and late at night, working at Taco Bell. I lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and… I started delivering for Papa John when they came to town, and from there, I started to love it, and the tips were good, so that helped”, he said.
However, the adjustment was not easy at all, as he was not only the first in his family to make the decision to emigrate, but he had done it alone. He had to learn to deal with the cultural change, the language, and loneliness. “Coming to the U.S., in fact, was my first flight [ever]. I had never flown before,” Bajwa said. “As soon as I got on the plane, it was a full flight coming here by myself, [there was] a lot of anxiety… but I was determined to do it”, he stated.
Step by step
In 1996, he graduated from university, and by then he had gone from being a delivery person to an area manager at Papa John’s. It was then that he decided to apply for corporate positions both within and outside the company, although he did not have much hope. He explained that “When I went to look for a job [corporate], I couldn’t get a job that paid me… more than I was already earning [at Papa John],” which is why he decided to stay with the company. It was in July 2002 when everything changed for him, opening his first Papa John’s store in Liverpool, Ohio, thanks to the help of his family and bank loans.
After saving costs by setting up the shop on his own, he invested the remaining money in marketing, which exposed his team’s inexperience and lack of training on opening day. “Too many people showed up because I advertised too much, and I focused more on advertising than on training people to make pizzas… Then I learned how important it is to be ready before [opening],” he explains. After exponential growth and a small downturn in 2008, Bajwa learned through experiences to manage his stores.
Looking into de future
Along with two brothers, I confuse the Bajco Group, and in 2024 I signed one of the largest agreements to date with Papa John’s: the opening of 50 new establishments by 2028. In addition to working hand in hand with the fast-food chain, Bajwa has also built adjacent businesses, and he declares, “I never dreamed of this growth. [I focused on] doing my best … and learning from my mistakes … and the rest just came,” said Bajwa. “So it all started with pizza delivery. Can you believe that?”
