Papa John's Just Dropped Oreo, Chicken Parm, And Jalapeño Bites

It's always exciting when you're at school, work, a meeting, or with friends and someone reveals they've ordered a pizza. It's even more exciting, though, when the pizza arrives along with a side of wings or breadsticks. Nearly every pizza chain offers its own uniquely made side items to pair with your pie. At Papa John's, you can choose from garlic knots, plain or flavored breadsticks, and numerous cheesestick options, including regular, six-cheese, and bacon.

Sometimes, patrons prefer add-ons more than the pizza itself. A Redditor on the r/unpopularopinion thread shared their superior love for cheesesticks about a year ago, and they even broke their stance down into bullet points. First, they cited the convenient shape of the side dish, which is essentially cheese pizza cut into sticks: "The triangular shape of a slice of pizza requires crust for hand holding, and is awkward to bite into, potentially you'll get sauce on your face," they complained. Next, it's the ability to choose how much sauce comes with each bite, and finally, it's their belief that cheesesticks and sauce on the side reheat better than a saucy pizza. If you're similarly passionate about Papa Johns' side items deserving more hype than its pizza, you may be curious about what the chain recently added to its menu. 

Papa John's just unveiled a few new items that can serve as both a side dish and a dessert. On Facebook, the brand announced a trio of Papa Bites, which are described online as fresh dough pieces wrapped around your choice of Oreos and cream cheese icing; chicken, Parmesan, and tomato; or jalapeno, alfredo sauce, and cheese fillings. Each $4.99 order comes with eight bites and a different dipping sauce congruent on which flavor is ordered. Under the post, fans of the pizza brand lit up with excitement. "BRO THOSE LOOK AMAZING," one comment read. "Let me put this in cart on my way from work tonight!" another user wrote.

The announcement was also made on Instagram, along with a photo showcasing all three flavors. In response, an Instagrammer commented what they thought upon trying two of the varieties. "Tried the Oreo last night not too bad, I like the jalapeño one to with the Alfredo!" they wrote. Others simply tagged their friends, letting the photos from Papa John's do the talking instead.

The Papa John's menu seems to be all about bite-sized add-ons these days, as the chain already sells chicken poppers, cinnamon pull-apart bites, and jalapeno popper rolls, which look nearly identical to the spicy Papa Bites besides their slightly larger size and Philadelphia cream cheese center. Besides aiming for a competitive edge against other chains through product innovation, these more affordable side dishes could be Papa Johns' way of attracting price-sensitive customers during current economic woes.