Earlier in his career, Christopher Wynne put his Russian expertise to work researching arms proliferation for the American government. Now he’s engaged in geopolitics of another sort: deploying American fast food for the emerging Russian middle class.
Mr. Wynne is the top franchisee in Russia for the Papa John’s Pizza chain. His competitors include the American chains Sbarro and Domino’s, and a Russian upstart, Pizza Fabrika. But so far, compared with the largely saturated United States market for fast food, Mr. Wynne says he is finding plenty of demand.
“I could succeed in my sleep there is so much opportunity here,” said Mr. Wynne, who has just opened his 25th Papa John’s outlet in Russia, doubling the number in the last year.