Shake Shack named a new CEO on Thursday, the first outsider to lead the company in its 20-year history.

A News4JAX Insider can win a VIP experience for four to the "Oh Say Can You Sing" finale.

A News4JAX Insider can win a VIP experience for four to the "Oh Say Can You Sing" finale.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images(CNN) - For the first time in two years, Papa John's is growing in the United States. Three executives, Chief Operating and Growth Officer Mike Nettles, Chief Marketing Officer Karlin Linhardt and Chief Financial Officer Joe Smith, are all departing the company. To distance itself from the controversial founder, Papa John's has updated its marketing campaign, conducted an internal audit into the company's culture and ran mandatory anti-bias training for employees. As Papa John's slowly returns to growth in the United States, competition in the pizza sector is heating up. Its new partnership with the NFL, which replaced Papa John's, helped boost its bottom line.

CNN image(CNN) - Papa John's is slowly turning things around and perhaps a new crust will help. Papa John's crust selection lacks variety compared to its competitors. The new Papa John's crust is available Monday across the United States. Slice strugglesSales at Papa John's have struggled the past few years following the scandal surrounding founder and former CEO John Schnatter. In February, activist investing firm Starboard Value took a $200 million stake in Papa John's and pledged to turn things around.

Your Halloween just got a whole lot cheesier. One of our favorite pizza chains, Papa John's, is really getting into the Halloween spirit this year. Instead of serving up a boring circle-shaped pizza, they are selling pizzas that are shaped like a sure sign of Halloween: a Jack-o-Lantern. This pizza is a large thin-crust that is shaped like a jolly old pumpkin, complete with a pepperoni smiley face that is more cute than spooky. The giant pie is going for $11 and is only available until Halloween.

Scott Olson/Getty ImagesANN ARBOR, Mich. - It wasn't that long ago that Domino's was the darling of the pizza industry. Papa John's has started to use the popular ex-NBA star Shaquiile O'Neal, who now serves on the company's board, as the face of its new ad campaign. But Pizza Hut has partnered with GrubHub while Papa John's has a deal with DoorDash. The competition is hurting Domino's stock -- and lifting its rivals. is up nearly 25% and Papa John's has soared more than 35%.

Tim Boyle/Getty Images(CNN) - Pizza Hut had struggled to compete against Domino's and Papa John's for the past few years. Pizza Hut also is launching an interactive game called "Hut Hut Win" that will give customers a chance to win NFL merchandise and free food. Pizza Hut is also stepping up its digital game with leading apps on Apple's iOS App Store and Google Play for Android. But even without any plant-based products on the horizon just yet, Pizza Hut is still enjoying a solid comeback. "The second quarter, globally, was one of the best for Pizza Hut in a long time.

Lynch was named CEO of Papa John's Tuesday morning. He replaces Steve Ritchie, the veteran Papa John's executive who took over in the wake of the scandal surrounding founder and former CEO John Schnatter. Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith took over as Papa John's chairman. "I am thrilled to welcome Rob to Papa John's at this pivotal moment in the company's history," Smith said in a statement. Shares of Papa John's, which rallied on the news of Lynch's hiring, are up more than 10% this year.