Pick it up, pop it in: Papa Murphy's offers an easy answer to the dinner question
Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/WhatsUp/49035/
It seems life gets a little more hectic every day. But just because you're tied down with a busy schedule doesn't mean you have to forego a home-cooked meal. To help ease the burden of slaving all day over a hot stove, Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake recently opened on College Avenue in Fayetteville.
The location, which opened Dec. 26, is the fourth for the chain in Northwest Arkansas, which started in Bentonville in 2005 and has since expanded to Springdale and Sixth Street in Fayetteville.
The concept began in California in 1995 with the merger of Murphy's Pizza and Papa Aldo's Pizza. Since then the company has expanded eastward to encompass more than 880 stores in 32 states.
The concept is simple: Choose your pizza, pick it up, take it home and bake it when you're ready to eat it. Each pizza comes with general instructions and a temperature and time chart.
Local owners Rob Dickerson and James Martin are doing their part to spread the take-and-bake concept throughout Northwest Arkansas.
"We have a lot of mothers come in because they can get a pizza, cook it at home and still feel like they're cooking for their family," said Martin. "They like the fact that they can take it home and bake it on their time and don't have to wait 30 to 45 minutes for delivery."
In addition to pizza, Papa Murphy's also carries a variety of salads, cinnamon rolls, cheesy bread and cookie dough, which Martin says is becoming a favorite snack with the local college crowd.
"A lot of college students come in and get the cookie dough and eat it right out of the tub," he said.
Papa's Pizzas come in medium, large and family sizes and can be topped with more than 20 items. Prices increase a dollar with each size and start out with the basic cheese ($6.99-$8.99) and one-topping ($7.99-$9.99) and building up to the specialties, such as the Hawaiian, made with Canadian bacon and pineapple ($8.99-$10.99); the Rancher: Canadian bacon, pepperoni, beef and mixed onion ($10.99-$12.99) and the Murphy's Combo, piled with salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions and black olives ($11.99-$13.99).
Other specialties include the Chicken Garlic Gourmet Pizza, made with grilled chicken, Roma tomatoes and green onions ($11.99-$13.99), and Stuffed pizzas, made with two layers of dough and more than a pound of cheese. Stuffed pizzas include Grilled Chicken and Bacon: garlic sauce, grilled chicken, bacon, Roma tomatoes and onions with a garnish of more tomatoes and bacon; the Big Murphy: pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms and black olives and garnished with tomatoes, green peppers, and herb and cheese blend; Build Your Own: a choice of up to three toppings garnished with tomatoes; and Chicago-Style: salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage, beef and onions, garnished with tomatoes and green onions. All stuffed pizzas are $12.99 for a large and $14.99 for family-size.
For the carb-conscious, Papa Murphy's offers four deLite Pizzas that offer 60 percent less carbs and 44 percent fewer calories than regular pizzas. DeLite Pizzas are only available in large and include cheese ($4.99), pepperoni or one-topping ($5.99), the deLite Meat topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage and beef ($7.99), and the deLite Veggie, made with garlic sauce, spinach, mushrooms and Roma tomatoes ($7.99).
To top off the meal, a variety of take-and-bake desserts are also offered, including chocolate chip cookie dough by the pound ($2.99), cinnamon wheels ($2.99), cinnamon rolls with icing ($3.99), and dessert pizza in apple or cherry ($4.99).
All locations offer call-ahead service so orders are ready for pick up at the customer's convenience. The College Avenue location is the only one in the area that also includes drive-through service.
PAPA MURPHY'S TAKE 'N' BAKE PIZZA
Address:
2195 N. College Ave. and 3049 W. Sixth St. in Fayetteville
231 N. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville
2111 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Phone: 444-6644 (College Avenue), 582-5533 (Sixth Street), 271-9809 (Bentonville), 751-7878 (Springdale)