BERJAYA PIZZA Malaysia, a member of the Berjaya group, and its Philippine partner are bringing to the local market America?s Papa John?s Pizza, said to be one of the largest pizza chains in the world.

The partnership?s Philippine unit, Berjaya Pizza Philippines, is earmarking P400 million for the next three years to put up Papa John?s Pizza outlets initially in Metro Manila, said Filipino partner and company president Paul Soo.

The company is now putting up a commissary where all the ingredients and materials to be used by the pizza chain will be made. Berjaya Pizza Philippines hopes to open its first outlet by mid-November, either in Ortigas, Pasig City or on Tomas Morato in Quezon City, Soo added.

The pizza chain?s target is to open 100 outlets in 10 years, or 10 branches a year, said company chair Dato Francis Lee, who is also executive director of the Malaysian parent firm.

All branches will be company owned to ensure that the quality of Papa John?s pizza, now the top choice of US consumers, will be kept, while food preparation systems applied by the Kentucky-based company will be followed, he said.

According to Lee, Berjaya Pizza Philippines will position itself as a mass-based pizza chain with ?better ingredients and, therefore, better pizza.?

Its prices will be about the same as those offered by other pizza chains in the country.

Papa John?s International vice president for Asia and the Middle East Myles Felt said the Philippine franchisee of Papa John?s would be using only the freshest and properly prepared ingredients.

?The dough will be kept three days in the commissary for the right fermentation, the cheese will be 100 percent mozzarella, the beef will be 100 percent protein, no fillers,? Felt said.

And that will set Papa John?s Pizza ?apart from the rest,? Lee added.

Lee said the Berjaya group was optimistic about business concerns in the Philippines, particularly the food business.