Is there a stronger example of over-correcting in the history of brand rehabilitation? Any sensible observer would acknowledge that Papa John’s likely isn’t a monolith of racism—Forbes called its offices a “toxic culture,” sure, but the chain is comprised of thousands of local franchises and 120,000-plus employees, and it’s a shame that one ding dong (who happens to be the company founder and whose face graces the pizza box) threw himself into the cultural political fray, offhandedly used the N-word in a conference call, and claimed extortion against his corporate board, and basically single handedly caused his franchisees to suffer financially.

I’m no branding expert, but the danger I see is the chain baking in public perception that Papa John’s is the “racist pizza chain.” It feels a bit self-sabotaging in the name of candor. It worked for Domino’s and its “we’re sorry for sucking” campaign, but a reason for that success was Domino’s offered a tangibly improved product. The question, then, is how will Papa John’s execute its “we’re sorry our founder used the N-word” turnaround? (For their part, Papa John’s new CEO Steve Ritchie wrote that efforts to diversify their culture are afoot.) Can the company do so without a complete rebranding? Will it continue calling itself Papa John’s or is the name too toxic?

Perhaps like Domino’s, Papa John’s can start by offering a better pizza.