text: Papa John's isn't pulling any punches with its first new advertisement since its founder John Schnatter was ousted as chairman last month. 
   
   On Friday, the beleaguered pizza chain published a video on social media that addressed outrage customers expressed following comments made by Schnatter in November about the National Football League and, more recently, his use of the N-word on a conference call that came to light in July. 
   
   "You expected better from Papa John's," says the video, which was posted on Facebook and Twitter Friday afternoon. "So did we." 
   
   The video contains actual customer Tweets that call out the pizza chain over Schnatter's remarks and demand Papa John's change its policies if it wants their business back. 
   
   "Right now, we're reviewing our culture from top to bottom and meeting with our communities to learn how we can be better," the company wrote on Twitter. "We fully intend to earn back your trust through action." ||||| Papa John's is confronting its crisis: Customers think it has a racism problem. 
   
   In a new ad, the pizza chain shows some of the furious messages it received after its founder blamed NFL protests for poor sales and later admitted using the N-word. 
   
   "Racism is disgusting and I won't support it," one person wrote. Another said that "blaming players for poor sales with dog whistle racism was a hack move." 
   
   Between the messages, words from the company appear on the screen. 
   
   "You expected better from Papa John's. So did we," the company writes. "Thank you for your honesty ... It is making us better." 
   
   Papa John's is struggling with declining sales, especially since founder John Schnatter was forced to resign as chairman in July, after his use of the slur came to light. 
   
   Schnatter has since said it was a mistake to resign, and is now attacking CEO Steve Ritchie in an apparent bid to regain control. 
   
   The ads recall those put out by Facebook (FB), Uber and Wells Fargo (WFC) after PR crises at those companies. All of those ads acknowledged customer concerns, although with varying degrees of directness. 
   
   The company has taken great pains to distance itself from Schnatter, removing his image from marketing materials, kicking him out of his office and trying to stop him from gaining more control of the company. 
   
   "The video produced by the Company represents another example of the Company attempting to hide the true facts," a spokesman for Schnatter said in a statement. He added that fans have called for Schnatter's return to the company. 
   
   Papa John's also announced Friday that it will roll out mandatory bias training for its workers. 
   
   Training will start in October at the corporate office and at corporate-owned stores, which make up about 20% of its the chain's US restaurants. The Papa John's leadership team finished their own training two weeks ago. 
   
   The program will include conversations about unconscious bias, racial and cultural sensitivity and managing bias. 
   
   In an open letter, Ritchie said Papa John's is also conducting an internal audit on diversity and inclusion practices, launching a program to support minority-owned franchises and starting a foundation focused on local communities. 
   
   Ritchie said he was "personally committed to adding more diversity to the leadership team of Papa John's." 
   
   Papa John's has hired Bank of America and Lazard to help stabilize the business, a source told CNNMoney on Friday. The source declined to give further details, and Bank of America and Lazard declined to comment. The news was reported earlier by Reuters. 
   
   Papa John's also seems to be following a similar playbook to that of Starbucks (SBUX), which mandated anti-bias training after two black men were arrested while waiting for a friend at a Philadelphia location. 
   
   Starbucks closed about 8,000 stores for an afternoon to conduct the elaborate training, which tapped the musician and activist Common as a virtual session leader and relied on the guidance of more than 30 experts. ||||| Tweet with a location 
   
   You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| Our Core Values 
   
   Aug 24, 2018 
   
   I was appointed the CEO of Papa John’s earlier this year. As the new CEO, I want to share the values that will drive the transformation of Papa John’s. 
   
   I started my career in the pizza business 25 years ago because pizza brings people together. I found a home at Papa John’s where people from all backgrounds work side-by-side every day. Papa John’s is 120,000 corporate and franchise team members around the world. We stand for equity, fairness, respect and opportunity. Our most important ingredient is our people. 
   
   When I became CEO in January, diversity, equity and inclusion became one of my top priorities. What began as a committee of passionate team members has grown into a company-wide effort to realize our values. Here’s what we’ve done so far: 
   
   An independent cultural audit and investigation of our diversity and inclusion practices is underway, with actionable recommendations to follow. 
   
   I, along with other Papa John’s leaders, visited Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, Detroit and Chicago as part of a listening tour to get feedback from team members and franchisees on how we can do better. 
   
   Recently, the Papa John’s leadership team completed unconscious bias training. We will be rolling out the program across the company. 
   
   I am personally committed to adding more diversity to the leadership team of Papa John’s. 
   
   We’re assembling a special advisory group comprised of nationally-respected diversity, equity and inclusion experts to help guide us. 
   
   We’re kicking off the development of two key long-term initiatives: The Papa John’s minority-owned franchise expansion and development program; and Formation of a new foundation that will be focused on making a positive impact in communities where our team members live and work. We will support causes that bring people together. 
   
   
   
   We are just getting started and we recognize this is only a beginning. On behalf of the 120,000 team members in the Papa John’s family, you have my commitment we will always strive for better. 
   
   Sincerely, 
   
   Steve Ritchie 
   
   CEO, Papa John's
target: – "I'd rather have frozen pizza than racist pizza." So reads a customer tweet about Papa John's, and it's not one the pizza company is shying away from. Quite the contrary, the message is highlighted in the chain's first new ad since John Schnatter was forced to resign last month over his use of the n-word. In the 65-second ad posted to social media Friday, a series of angry tweets are displayed, then the words, "You expected better from Papa John's. So did we." Then, after showing more tweets, the words "Thank you for your anger" appear. That last word is subsequently replaced with "criticism" and "honesty." "It is making us better." CEO Steve Ritchie also posted extensive comments on Twitter, which you can read here, and a letter to customers, which you can read here. CNN reports the company plans to hold mandatory bias training sessions beginning in October at its company-owned stores and is going live with a minority-owned franchise expansion and development program. The ad certainly hasn't abated Schnatter's anger. A rep for the former CEO had this to say, per CNBC: "The video produced by the company represents another example of the company attempting to hide the true facts. It omits the avalanche of comments made by customers, employees, and others who support John Schnatter and feel that the company is wrong."