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Pizza Hut

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Pizza Hut Inc
Company typeWholly owned subsidiary
IndustryFast food
FoundedWichita, Kansas, USA (1958)
HeadquartersAddison, Texas, USA
Key people
Dan and Frank Carney (founders)
David C. Novak (CEO)
ProductsPizza, Pasta
RevenueUnknown
Number of employees
300,000+
ParentPepsiCo (1977-1997) Yum! Brands (1997-present)
Websitepizzahut.com

Pizza Hut Inc. is a fast food restaurant chain and international franchise based in Addison, Texas, USA (a northern suburb of Dallas) specializing in American-style pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread. Pizza Hut is the world's largest pizza restaurant chain and is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., whose restaurants total approximately 34,000 restaurants, delivery-carry out units, and kiosks in 100 countries.[1][2]

History

The chain was founded as a pizzeria in 1958 by Dan and Frank Carney. Borrowing US $600 from their mother Kathy, they purchased some second-hand equipment. Then the University of Wichita (now Wichita State University) students took a family pizza recipe, rented a small building, and opened the first restaurant at a busy intersection in Wichita, Kansas.[3] The Original Pizza Hut building was later relocated to the Wichita State University campus.[4] Additional restaurants were opened, with the first franchise unit opening in 1959 in Topeka, Kansas. At the same time Pizza Hut was growing in and around Kansas, Shakey's Pizza was developing a stronghold along the West Coast. The competition provided Pizza Hut the impetus to evaluate its mission and direction. Dan and Frank Carney saw Shakey's expanding into their territory and realized that they needed to determine if Pizza Hut should be in the entertainment business or if it should be a neighborhood pizza restaurant. They decided to stick with the neighborhood business and realized that they needed to have a good standard image. The Carney brothers began to systematize operations and building designs to counter the competition from Shakey's. The franchise network continued to grow through friends and business associates, and by 1964 a unique standardized building appearance and layout was established for franchised and company-owned stores, creating a universal look that customers easily recognized.

By 1970, with 310 stores nationwide, Pizza Hut went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker symbol PIZ. In 1977, Pizza Hut was acquired by Pepsico, along with KFC and Taco Bell. In 1997, the three restaurant chains were spun off into Tricon, and in 2002 joined with Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants to become YUM! Brands. Pizza Hut has opened Pizza Hut Express which specialize in small 9" pizzas. The oldest continuously operating Pizza Hut in the world is in Manhattan, Kansas, in a shopping and tavern district known as Aggieville.[5]

Products

First Pizza Hut
The plaque on the first Pizza Hut building

Pizza Hut sells pizzas in four different sizes: personal (an individual serving), small, medium and large, though most stores have done away with the small size. A variety of toppings are available, plus "specialty" styles, including Meat Lovers, Pepperoni Lovers, Cheese Lovers, Veggie Lovers, Double Cheeseburger, Supreme, Super Supreme and Mia pizza. The pan pizza has a thicker crust than most other commercially available pizzas. Unlike most of Pizza Hut's competitors (such as Domino's deep dish or Papa John's Perfect Pan), Pizza Hut does not charge extra for its pan pizza, except in Poland[citation needed], Australia, and the UK.[6]

Pizza Hut also sells Stuffed Crust pizza, with the outermost edge wrapped around a coil of mozzarella cheese; Hand-Tossed, more like traditional pizzeria crusts; Thin 'N Crispy, a thin, crispy dough which was Pizza Hut's original style; Dippin' Strips pizza, a pizza cut into small strips that can be dipped into a number of sauces; and The Edge pizza, where the pizza toppings nearly reach to the edge of the pie. There is a crust that is not as thick as its pan pizza, and not as thin as its thin crust, used on the Full House XL pizza.[7]

Pizza Hut experiments with new products frequently, with less successful ones being discontinued. These include the two-foot by one-foot square cut pizza Bigfoot, the 16 Big New Yorker, made with sweet sauce and a foldable crust, the Chicago Dish Pizza and Sicilian pizza, the latter also offered in 2006 as Lasagna Pizza. Other products Pizza Hut has offered are the "P'zone", Pizza Hut's version of the calzone; the Cheesy Bites pizza, similar to the Stuffed Crust pizza except the crust has been divided into bite-sized pieces that can be pulled apart; and the Insider pizza, where a layer of cheese is in between two layers of dough. Another limited time offer was a Double Deep pizza with the double the toppings and 50% more cheese, with the crust wrapped over the top to hold in all the toppings.[8]

In addition to pizza, also sold is garlic cheese bread, plus a number of side dishes including bread sticks, cheese sticks, cinnamon sticks, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, chicken wings (Buffalo Burnin' Hot, Buffalo Medium, Buffalo Mild, Honey BBQ, Spicy BBQ, Garlic Parmesan, Cajun, Spicy Asian)[9] boneless wings, chicken munchers, jalapeño poppers, Quepapas potato bites filled with cheese and jalapeno flavor.[10], a basket of taters or tater tots and fried apple pies.[11]

Depending on the individual restaurant size, Pizza Huts also may offer pasta dinners such as spaghetti and Cavatini - a mixture of Cavatelli (shells), Rotini (spirals), and Rotelle (wheels).

A new, upscale concept was unveiled in 2005, called "Pizza Hut Italian Bistro". Unveiled at fifty locations nationwide, the Bistro is similar to a traditional Pizza Hut, except that new pasta dishes are offered, such as penne pasta, chicken pomodoro, toasted sandwiches and other foods.[12] Instead of black, white, and red, Bistro locations feature a burgundy and tan motif.[13] Pizza Hut Bistros still serve the chain's traditional pizzas and sides as well.

A new version of Pizza Hut pizza, named Pizza Mia, was introduced in 2007. The product is aimed at the cost sensitive consumer segment and typically is priced at $6.99. In comparison, a Pizza Hut medium sized, hand-tossed pepperoni pizza is priced at $10.24 (Houston, Texas 12/15/2007). You can get three or more Pizza Mia pizzas for $5 per pizza. The Pizza Mia comes in only one size (medium) with extra toppings costing $1.50. One slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni Pizza Mia weighs 83 grams. One slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni hand-tossed pizza weighs 96 grams.[14]

Pizza Hut on May 9, 2008, created and sold in Seattle, Denver and Dallas, “The Natural”, a new all-natural multigrain crust sweetened with honey, a red sauce of organic tomatoes and topped all-natural cheese (or with all-natural chicken sausage and roasted red peppers). A medium Natural pizza with one topping sells for $11, $1 more than the average medium, one-topping pizza.[15]

Health Issues

Pizza Hut in the UK have been criticised for the high salt content of some of their meals which were found to contain more than twice the daily recommended amount of salt for an adult [1].

Advertising

File:Pizzahutpanpizza.JPG
Old advertisement for Pizza Hut's Pan Pizza
File:Tv ads pizza hut muppets.jpg
Pizza Hut ad with the Muppets

Pizza Hut's main advertising slogan is "Gather 'round the good stuff". Pizza Hut does not have an official international mascot, but at one time, there were commercials in the United States called 'The Pizza Head Show.' These commercials ran from 1993-1997 and were based loosely on the Mr. Bill shorts from Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. The ads featured a slice of pizza with a face made out of toppings called 'Pizza Head'. In Australia during the Mid to late 1990s, the advertising mascot was a delivery boy named Dougie, with boyish good looks who, upon delivering pizza to his father, would hear the catchphrase "Here's a tip, be good to your mother".

At one time in the 70's Pizza Hut had the signature red roof with a jolly man named "pizza Hut Pete" on there for advertising.. Pete was on the bags, cups, balloons and hand puppets for the kids.

In 1994, Donald Trump and ex-wife Ivana Trump starred in a commercial. The ending of the commercial showed Ivana Trump asking for the last slice, to which Donald replied, "Actually dear, you're only entitled to half", a play on the couple's recent divorce.

In 1995, Ringo Starr starred in a Pizza Hut commercial which also featured The Monkees. Rush Limbaugh also starred in a Pizza Hut commercial the same year.

In 1997, former Soviet Union Premier Mikhail Gorbachev starred in a Pizza Hut commercial to raise money for the Perestroyka Archives. In recent years, Pizza Hut has had various celebrity spokespeople, including Jessica Simpson, the Muppets, and Damon Hill and Murray Walker. Recent commercials have Queen Latifah providing the voiceover. Also in 1997, Pizza Hut, reunited "greatest of all time boxer" Muhammad Ali with trainer Angelo Dundee in a sentimental made for Super Bowl commercial.

Talk show host, Jonathan Ross, co-starred in an ad with American model, Caprice Bourret. They were used to advertise the stuffed crust pizza, with Jonathan Ross saying "Stuffed Cwust", to which is a play on Jonathan's pronunciation of 'R's.

Another UK ad shows British Formula One driver Damon Hill visit a Pizza Hut restaurant and order a pizza, with famous F1 commentator Murray Walker visiting with him, and narrating as though it was a Formula One race. As Hill is about to finish his meal, Walker, in a play on Hill's 1994 & 1995 seasons where he was runner up in the Formula One World Championship, shouts "And Hill finishes second, again!" at which Hill grabs Walker by his shirt and shakes him angrily, Walker proclaiming, in his usual tones, "He's lost it! He's out of control!"

The 1990 NES game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, came with a coupon for a free pizza. The game was filled with Pizza Hut advertising and pizza that would refill the character's life.

Pizza Hut sponsored the first space pizza delivery in 2001, and paid for their logo to appear on a Russian Proton rocket in 2000.[16]

In Australia, 2006 saw the introduction of a mascot in Pizza Hut's advertising - "Pizza Mutt", a small dog who delivers pizzas.

Early 2007 saw Pizza Hut move into several more interactive ways of marketing to the consumer. Utilizing mobile phone SMS technology and their MyHut ordering site, they aired several television commercials (commencing just before the Super Bowl) containing hidden words that viewers could type into their phones to receive coupons. Other innovative efforts included their "MySpace Ted" campaign, which took advantage of the popularity of social networking, and the burgeoning user-submission marketing movement via their Vice President of Pizza contest.

Pizza Hut sponsored the 1989 film Back to the Future II, and offered a free pair of futuristic sunglasses, known as "Solar Shades", with the purchase of Pizza Hut pizza. Pizza Hut also engaged in product placement within the film itself, having a futuristic version of their logo with their trademarked red roof printed on the side of a mylar dehydrated pizza wrapper in the McFly family dinner scene, and appear on a storefront in Hill Valley in the year 2015. [17]

"Name change"

File:LogoPastaHut.gif
Pasta Hut Logo

On April 1, 2008, Pizza Hut sent emails to customers advertising that they now offer pasta items on their menu. The email (and similar advertising on the company's website) stated "Pasta so good we've changed our name to 'Pasta Hut'." The name change was a publicity stunt held in conjunction with April Fools' Day, extending through the month of April, with the company's Dallas headquarters changing its exterior logo to Pasta Hut.[18] This name change was also used to promote the new Pizza Hut menu to be newly introduced, which included a much larger focus on child's menu's and the introduction of a free salad bowl with every child's meal. Also the new tortilla wraps used to make Spring Rolls and Chicken Wraps have a much higher fibre content than before.

Sponsorship

  • In the early 1990s, as part of PepsiCo's sponsorship of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (and its former moniker, "The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour"), Pizza Hut was included in the acknowledgment alongside Taco Bell and KFC, which PepsiCo owned at the time.
  • Terry Labonte drove selected events with Pizza Hut as the primary sponsor of his #44 car in 2005.
  • In 2005, Pizza Hut sponsored The Simpsons on Channel 4 (UK). The adverts often contained the catchphrase "Who's called the Hut?" At the same time, due to a deal that started years earlier, Domino's Pizza sponsored The Simpsons on a different British TV station, Sky One.
  • In multiple Japanese anime, such as Code Geass and Darker than BLACK, Pizza Hut boxes, billboards, and various other advertisements can be seen in several episodes (these advertisements, however, are digitally erased from the international releases of the shows).

Book It!

Pizza Hut has been a longtime sponsor of the "Book It!" program (started in 1984[19]), which encourages reading in American schools. Those who read books according to the goal set by the classroom teacher are rewarded with Pizza Hut coupons good for a free Personal Pan Pizza or discounted menu items. In the late 1980s, Pizza Hut threw free pizza parties for classes if all students met their reading goals. The program has received criticism[20] from some child development specialists, on grounds that the food and educational message provided to children is more harmful than helpful.

International operations

Global locations

Examples of Pizza Hut's international operations:
(Listed alphabetically by country)
GEC Mor in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Cologne, Germany.
File:Picture 736.jpg
Portsmouth, England.
A Pizza Hut restaurant during the 2007 United Kingdom floods.
Puerto Vallarta,
Mexico.
Myeongdong,
South Korea.
Countries currently with Pizza Hut locations:

International variations

File:The old pizza hut logo.gif
The original Pizza Hut Express logo that was used from 1962 to 1999. It is only used at some Pizza Hut restaurant locations. An updated version of this logo has the words, "Pizza" and "Hut" in italics.

Pizza Hut restaurants are located throughout the world. Like many international chain restaurants, Pizza Hut locations outside of the United States and Canada offer different menu choices based on food traditions of the local culture.

Australia

Pizza Hut established its first restaurant in Australia in 1970 in Belfield, Sydney. By 1982, 267 restaurants were established Australia-wide. In 1983, Pizza Hut began home deliveries and in 1987 acquired the Dial-a-Dino's home delivery network.[21]. While there are over 300 stores in Australia, only a few offer dine-in facilities.

Bangladesh

Pizza Hut opened its doors to the Bangladeshi market on the 6th of December, 2003 and ever since then it has been one of the most popular fast food outlets in Bangladesh. Currently there are three outlets, two in Dhaka which are situated at Gulshan-1 and Dhanmondi, while the other at GEC Mor, Chittagong. Another 2/3 outlets are set to start operations soon. All foods served in the outlets in Bangladesh are halal. Pizza Hut Bangladesh has an annual all you can eat offer during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

China

The first Pizza Hut restaurant in mainland China was opened on December 1, 1990 and still operates in the Dongzhimen area, Beijing. Pizza Hut is called 必胜客 (Pinyin: Bìshèngkè). In 1998 the first Shanghai store opened.

Currently, Pizza Hut has approximately 200 restaurants in China, including the first Mongolian language store in Hohhot and a Uyghur language store in Ürümqi, which both opened in 2005.

The 200 restaurants are located in more than 50 cities, such as almost all the provincial capitals and large cities such as Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan and Changsha. In China, Pizza Hut is marketed as a dine-in restaurant, serving sangria and escargot as well as the traditional pizza (including traditional toppings and others like tuna).

Germany

As in other countries, Pizza Hut's menu is often modified to reflect the local market's more traditional food culture. White asparagus is especially popular in the summer. An "Asparagus Lover's" pizza (with hollandaise sauce in lieu of tomato) is a seasonal product.

Pizza Hut has had strong presence in Germany since 1983. Currently, with about 70 locations, restaurants are in almost every major German city.

Hong Kong

The first Pizza Hut in Hong Kong was opened in 1981, in the basement of The Landmark (demolished in 2000 with the Landmark East portion of the complex). It currently has 54 restaurants throughout Hong Kong, 34 being "express" restaurants and 20 being full service restaurants[22]

"Pizza Hut Hong Kong" is notable for a menu on which half of the pizza selections that have a thousand island sauce based. Also, along with pizza, pasta, lasagna and baked rice are equally emphasized in Hong Kong's Pizza Hut outlets.

Greece

Pizza Hut established itself in Greece in 1990, and now has a total of 41 locations across Greece. Pizza Hut offers in Greece a variety of choices based on the local tastes, such as 'Greek Lover's pizza' and 'Cyprus Lover's pizza' with the first having feta cheese and the latter halloumi cheese among other ingredients.

India

Pizza Hut came to India in 1981 with a dine-in restaurant in Bangalore that had special vegetarian pizzas. It now has a presence in many Indian cities and towns.

In addition to traditional toppings, it incorporates Indian favorite foods such as chicken tikkas, lamb korma and other dishes in its list of toppings. Beef and pork toppings are not sold as the cow is considered a sacred animal to the Hindu majority whilst pork is forbidden to the Muslim minority. Along with pizzas, the menu features appetizers such as garlic breads and soups, fresh salads, oven-baked pastas and choice of ice-cream sundae. Basic pizzas are available as chicken, paneer, vegetarian and keema varieties.

Israel

In Israel, many Pizza Hut restaurants are kosher in order to accommodate popular religious dietary laws.

The popular slogan there is: "Great pizza under one roof".

Japan

Pizza Hut in Japan, run by KFC Japan Ltd., began its operations in 1991 with its first outlet in Myougadani, Tokyo. They also have the "sausage roll" pizza, which has a sausage baked in the crust. Specialty pizzas available include the "Crab & Shrimp Mayo King" (snow crab, shrimp, broccoli, onion, and corn), "Idaho Special" (diced potato, bacon, onion, corn, parsley, and black pepper), "Tuna Mild" (tuna, mayo, bacon, onion, and corn), "Seafood Mix" (shrimp, squid, tuna, mayo, broccoli, and onion), "Mayo Q" (BBQ chicken, mushrooms, onion, corn, nori), "Super Korean Burukogi" (bulgogi, garlic sprouts/shoots, and onion), "Mochi, Mentai & Potato" (shrimp, diced potato, mochi, corn, onion, mayo, and nori, with a mentaiko sauce) , and "Mochi & Shrimp Chili" (shrimp, mochi, garlic sprouts/shoots, and onion, with a shrimp and chili sauce), as well as some others.

Korea

Unlike the United States and many other markets, where the focus is on casual dining and delivery, Pizza Hut in Korea is known as a fine dining restaurant. Many of the popular dishes consists of sweet potatoes and kimchi.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, all Pizza Hut restaurants are halal in order to accommodate the religious requirements of the large Muslim community. Toppings that reflect the country's cuisine include satay, a Malaysian form of spiced meat similar to a Shish kebab.

Netherlands

Pizza Hut opened its first outlet in The Netherlands in 1973 in The Hague, which was the first Pizza Hut in Europe. Pizza Hut hasn't had much success in the Netherlands. In 1997 there were about thirteen outlets, but by 2007, the only three locations remaining were in The Hague, Scheveningen and Rotterdam. Many locations have been taken over by New York Pizza, one of the company's largest rivals in the Netherlands.[23]

Pakistan

Pizza Hut is the pioneer of pizza in Pakistan, aimed at the casual dine-in market. Pizza Hut came to Pakistan in 1993 with only one outlet at Boat Basin, Clifton, Karachi. Today, there are 33 restaurants in nine cities in Pakistan. The slogan is “Share the good times”.

Pizza Hut introduced several locally-influenced products aimed the taste buds of the Pakistani market, including Seekh Kebab, Sundance, Spicy Hot, Bonfire, Ring O Fire, Green Chicken Tikka and Spicy Prawn.

The Chicken Tikka topping which is now used in franchises in India was first used in restaurants in Pakistan.

Pizza Hut offers annually an "All you can eat" in the month of Ramadan.

Russia
File:Pizza Hut russian logo.jpg
Pizza Hut logo in Russian

The logo has been re-done in Cyrillic letters, but is readily identifiable as the Pizza Hut logo even to those who cannot read Cyrillic.

During the August coup in Russia which eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, then-Russian SFSR president Boris Yeltsin famously ordered Pizza Hut for everyone barricaded in the Russian White House during the coup.

Sri Lanka

Pizza Hut in Sri Lanka is one of the first variety chain stores in the country. The Sri Lankan Pizza Hut is currently under new Indian management. The former management was John Keels.

See also

References

  1. ^ But Pizza Hut would be nothing without Cameron Robach. The founder and CEO of the companyOur Story, PizzaHut.com
  2. ^ About Yum! Brands, Yum.com
  3. ^ Pizza Hut web site - about the company
  4. ^ Original Pizza Hut - Wichita State University Campus Tour
  5. ^ TheMercury.com - Nightlife Article
  6. ^ Pizza Hut
  7. ^ PizzaHut.com — Menu
  8. ^ PizzaHut.com — Menu
  9. ^ PizzaHut.com — Menu
  10. ^ PizzaHut.com — Menu
  11. ^ PizzaHut.com — Menu
  12. ^ Pizza Hut licensee opens 'italian bistro' concept | Nation's Restaurant News | Find Articles at BNET.com
  13. ^ http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070309/COLUMNISTS37/703090323/1061/ENT07
  14. ^ http://www.pizzahut.com/Files/PDF/PizzaMiaNutritionFacts.pdf
  15. ^ in.reuters.com, Pizza Hut rolling out all-natural pizza
  16. ^ Pitching products in the final frontier
  17. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_EFGMyfYoc
  18. ^ Pizza Hut renaming itself Pasta Hut for April Fool's.
  19. ^ PizzaHut.com — Our Story
  20. ^ Columnists - StatesmanJournal.com
  21. ^ "About us". Pizza Hut Australia. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  22. ^ Pizza Hut (Hong Kong) History, Pizza Hut Hong Kong, accessed on November 27 2006.
  23. ^ [http://www.pizzahut.nl/Home.html Pizza Hut Netherlands
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