Papa Murphy's | Take 'N' Bake Pizza — Restaurant in Bellevue

In our experience, this franchisee is relatively absentee based upon his employee's statement and the execution of their service thereafter.

My wife called in an order and an employee swiftly told her it would be twenty minutes before it was ready (one cheese and one cheese/ pepperoni). She mentioned she was around the corner and would be there in about five minutes.

Upon arriving, this same employee said to her, "That wasn't 20 minutes." My wife said that was OK, she was willing to wait. Later she noticed a friend walk by the front door and opened the door and began speaking to her friend with the door open. This same employee quickly came over to her from behind the counter and said, "Don't leave the door open." It's not what you say but how you say it.

All and all this single employee wasn't representing the brand very well. We have visited this same location dozens of times and have always had a stellar experience. This was anomalous. So, when my wife explained what happened and based upon my knowledge that she never, ever complains about service, I decided to call the store.

When I called the store, this same employee answered. I asked him if the store was a franchise. He told me he didn't understand the question. I asked if it was locally owned and he answered that it was. When inquiring as to when the owner/operator usually visited the store, he told me, "He never visits the store." Later he decided to ask me why I was calling and when I informed him that his treatment of my wife was less than ideal, he become very obstinate. He didn't apologize.

I then called Papa Murphy's corporate hoping that they would contact the franchisee. They did. The following day I received an email from the director of operations. She offered a free pizza and said that the employee had apologized to her. :)

First, I asked corporate to have the franchisee call me, not email me. Why? Most customer complaints are simply a customer who wants to be heard. By emailing me and not including a phone number in her signature, this director of operations has made it clear: This franchisee doesn't really seem to care about customer issues. In fact, good luck finding any contact information for this local franchisee. In my experience, as a former owner/operator of a very well known brand, this is simply - lazy. I have inquired as to which local Papa Murphy's aren't owned by this owner/operator as I will drive out of my way to visit those. This owner/operator has yet to answer my question.

I will remove this review as soon as they decide to let me know which stores they don't own. I am not looking for any free pizza. I would simply like to be heard and as that seems a bridge too far: just let me know which stores are not T&B owned. It's not hard.

It's pretty simple: simply call customers when they complain, they mostly want to be heard and don't really want any free stuff. Think about it: This franchisee hasn't even heard my side of the story in full, instead relying upon their employee's side...

Ah, Papa Murphy’s. So I go to Papa Murphy’s, right? And it’s great. I mean, it’s take and bake, which is perfect because I like to feel like I helped. I didn’t make the pizza, but I baked it. That’s teamwork. That’s marriage-level contribution.

And listen, my personal favorite is the Chicken Garlic pizza. I know, I know. Some people say creamy garlic sauce doesn’t belong on a pizza. Those people also probably think socks and sandals are a bold fashion statement. But I disagree. That sauce? It’s like Alfredo and pizza had a beautiful baby, and then that baby went to culinary school and got a PhD in flavor. The chicken’s always tender, the crust (gluten-free for me) holds up like a champ, and the whole thing tastes like a warm hug from someone who knows how to season. I’d defend that sauce in court. I’d nominate it for office. I’d write it a Valentine.

Yeah, they’ve got gluten-free crust, which is a big deal for me. I used to think gluten was just a rumor, like Bigfoot or people who enjoy kale. But turns out, it’s real, and my stomach is not a fan. So Papa Murphy’s having gluten-free crust? That’s like finding out your dog can do taxes. It’s unexpected and life-changing.

I always order online. It’s very convenient. You just click some buttons, pretend you’re customizing a pizza like you’re building a race car, and then boom—it’s ready when you get there. I’ve never had trouble at this location. Not once. I walk in, they smile, hand me a pizza, and I leave. It’s like a pizza heist, but legal.

The service is always friendly and prompt. One time I tried to thank them with a joke, and they laughed politely, which is all I ask. I’m not trying to do a set in the lobby. I just want my gluten-free masterpiece and a nod of mutual respect.

And now, a quote from world-renowned Italian pizza critic Gianni Mozzarellini, author of “The Crust Whisperer”:

“Papa Murphy’s? Ah, bellissimo! The crust, she is like a cloud that went to culinary school. I weep softly into my marinara just thinking about it. If Michelangelo had baked instead of painted, he would have worked here.”

So yeah. Five stars. If you want pizza that respects your dietary needs and your schedule, this is the place. And if you want to feel like a chef without actually doing anything, this is...

This location must serve a lot of residents in Bellevue as it is right in the middle of Bellevue neighborhood. I ordered a large size chicago style deep dish - big Papa’s stuffed. As soon as I picked up the pizza, I was disappointed. I took off three stars because the upper layer of the deep dish pizza was not as advertised. It lacked a big portion of toppings as you can see in my photos. Advertisement shows the upper layer also is loaded with toppings. Mine was not the case. The green pepper topping is so little that you can almost count how many pieces they out on. The cheese portion was almost nil. I thought I should buy more mozzarella cheese myself and pour them on the second layer before baking it. Had I known that the second layer was only going to be this much of toppings, I would have just ordered a single layer pizza. I think the quality depends on each location. The first Papa Murphy’s pizza I ever tried was up in Anchorage AK and the toppings were so generous, I remember debating the pizza was better than Costco pizza at the dinner table. This location? Uh absolutely nada! Stop being so cheap with toppings. I can safely assume many people come to Papa Murphy as opposed to other pizza chains such as Dominos or Papa Johns is for the toppings. It’s like going to a Subway sandwich place. People want to put lots...