Papa John's earnings forecast slips amid public spat with founder

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Papa John's International Inc on Tuesday reported a second-quarter comparable sales decline of 6.1 percent in North America and said it expects the metric to fall between 7 percent and 10 percent in the current quarter, as an increasingly heated spat between the company and its founder is expected to drag on profits.

"The recent negative publicity surrounding the company's brand negatively impacted July sales in North America," the pizzeria said in a statement. "At this time, the company cannot predict how long and the extent to which the negative customer sentiment will continue to impact future sales."

 

(Reporting by Alana Wise; editing by Jonathan Oatis)