International franchise pizza restaurant chain of the U.S. brand Papa John's seeks to start operations on the Ukrainian market, Kyiv's Franchise Group has reported on its website.

Papa John's made the decision after a visit of its Vice President for International Business Development Mike Measells to Ukraine and a meeting with potential Ukrainian investors.

Franchise Group will accompany the development of Papa John's in Ukraine with support of the commercial service of U.S. department of Commerce under auspices of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.

"All details of the project are being agreed. I think that Ukrainian will be able to taste famous U.S. pizza in a year," Specialist for Trade Development of the commercial service of U.S. department of Commerce in Ukraine Anatoliy Sakhno said.

Managing Partner of Franchise Group Myroslava Kovalchuk said that the company received confirmations from several other famous U.S. franchise brands that they are ready to enter the Ukrainian market.

"Negotiations with other brands are going on," she said.

First Papa John's pizza restaurant was opened in Jeffersonville, Indiana, the United States in 1985. A first franchise restaurant was opened in a year. As of late 2015, its chain had over 4,700 restaurants in 37 countries.