A leading technology company has been shortlisted for a prestigious award after reshaping IT support for pizza brand Papa Johns across more than 400 stores.
Field-engineering expert Barron McCann and Helpdesk provider Retail Assist have been shortlisted for Technology Vendor of the Year at the Retail Technology Innovation Hub (RTIH) Innovation Awards 2025. has been shortlisted for Technology Vendor of the Year at the Retail Technology Innovation Hub (RTIH) Innovation Awards 2025.
The nomination recognises the company’s transformative partnership with Papa Johns and Retail Assist, which also belongs to the Barron McCann group of companies.
Working together, the firms implemented a new support model for the pizza chain that combines proactive seven-day helpdesk coverage with rapid nationwide field engineering.
The approach has reduced downtime, improved system reliability and restored franchisee confidence in their technology, enabling stores to remain open and trading even at peak times. On average, calls are now answered in just 20 seconds, while service performance has strengthened significantly across the network.
Gary Piper, Sales Director at Barron McCann, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be shortlisted for Technology Vendor of the Year. This recognition reflects the hard work of our team and our commitment to building partnerships that go beyond service delivery to truly transform the way our clients operate.
“Our work with Papa Johns and Retail Assist shows the power of collaboration. By combining technical expertise, rapid on-site support and a proactive service model, we’ve helped create an environment where franchisees can trade with confidence and focus on growing their businesses.”
Franchisees who once viewed technology as a point of frustration now see it as a strategic enabler of efficiency, loyalty and innovation, describing the service as “fantastic”, while Papa Johns’ leadership has called the change “a complete revolution”.
Rob Beattie, Papa Johns VP of International Technology and Digital, said: “Having Retail Assist and Barron McCann as part of our team, means that I’ve got confidence in scale that goes beyond just the team I’ve got in-house.
“If our restaurants aren’t trading, nothing else matters. Technology support is one of those things that if it’s working and it’s working well, I’m free and my team are free to focus on the things that really drive top line growth, things like loyalty, driving, conversion through our digital channels, optimising the customer experience, building good quality gamified experiences that create better brand engagement.
“If there’s an issue with the fundamental support, none of that can be done because all efforts are on fixing the basics and getting the restaurants open again. So having a good and stable partner is absolutely critical and it underpins everything that we do. It’s a blueprint for how Papa John’s should be working in all major markets.”
The partnership has also unlocked new data-led insights, giving Papa Johns clear visibility of how stores consume support and where improvements can be made.
Barron McCann works with leading retail, hospitality and leisure companies and has more than 40 years’ experience in IT and technology. Privately owned by businessman Alan Watson, the company provides IT services to customers throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
Managing director Scott Watson said: “It is a genuine pleasure that the relationships we build with our customers, based on a foundation of fantastic service provision, continue to be recognised externally. We work hard to leverage the skills, experience and partnerships from across our group of companies to provide seamless end-to-end capabilities to our customers, striving to deliver success to their businesses”.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 16 at The HAC in Central London.
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