UPDATE, March 23, 2020: Papa John's is hiring 20,000 new team members immediately to keep up with delivery and carryout demand, according to the press release. The company has also implemented additional health and safety precautions such as enhanced sanitation measures and no contact delivery. Pizza Hut will hire 30,000 nationwide and plans to expedite the onboarding process to get new drivers trained and on the road in five hours, according to a company announcement. ​

Dive Brief:

• Domino's is actively hiring full-time and part-time positions nationwide, including delivery experts, pizza makers, customer service representatives, managers and assistant managers, according to a press release. Domino's U.S. supply chain centers are also hiring Class A CDL drivers. 
• The pizza delivery company expects to hire roughly 10,000 workers, according to CNBC. Metro areas have a large amount of jobs available. Restaurants in Greater Chicago are looking to fill 1,000 jobs across 100 restaurants, according to a separate press release. 
• "While many local, state, and federal rules are closing dine-in restaurants, the opportunity to keep feeding our neighbors through delivery and carryout means that a small sense of normalcy is still available to everyone," Richard Allison, Domino's CEO, said in a press release. "Our corporate and franchise stores want to make sure they're not only feeding people, but also providing opportunity to those looking for work at this time, especially those in the heavily-impacted restaurant industry."

Dive Insight:

Only a few months ago, pizza chains were struggling to find delivery drivers. Papa John's turned to third-party delivery providers to supplement its delivery workforce, especially during busy times. Its delivery driver turnover last year was 220%. But the novel coronavirus outbreak has led to state-mandated restaurant closures across the country and subsequent layoffs at restaurants unable to pay for a workforce.

Some restaurants have switched to takeout and delivery as a way to survive, but for pizza chains, delivery has long been a main form of business so there is no need to transition. Pizza delivery is also expected to grow rapidly with so many staying at home, according to Restaurant Business. Domino's had already been heavily focused on carryout and delivery, with carryout growing 8.1% across its entire U.S. system in 2019. The company has been testing driverless pizza delivery in Houston, an option that could grow traction as people practice social distancing. Domino's has already set up contactless delivery options.

Outside of using third-party delivery drivers, Papa John's has also been adding more technology to improve the driver experience and overall costs, such as GPS tracking with Drivosity.

Other pizza chains have a plethora of open positions available. Michigan-based Jet's Pizza said Thursday that it is hiring at its 386 units across 20 states, with drivers making between $13 and $16 per hour, according to Restaurant Business.

While this can provide an opportunity for laid off restaurant employees, some foodservice workers have expressed concern about catching and spreading the virus if they work during the outbreak. Regardless of the risk, many workers are more concerned about a lack of paycheck, so these open positions will likely be highly sought out during this ongoing crisis.