MAIN Pop Culture Fast Food Pizza Hut

With their signature red roof and the tag line, "gather round the good stuff", Pizza Hut is the largest pizza franchise on the planet.

With a fun, tasty way to get pizza fast at over 34,000 locations in 100 countries, Pizza Hut is a true American success story that began under humble circumstances as a local Midwest pizza joint.

Today, under the YUM! brands banner - which also includes such fast food giants as KFC and Taco Bell - Pizza Hut is a multi-billion dollar operation employing 30,000 employees worldwide.

Pizza Hut history

The world's largest pizza franchise was born in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, when brothers Dan and Frank Carney decided to go into the pizza making business with $600 borrowed from their mother. Buying used pizza making equipment in a rented building in downtown Wichita, the Carneys gave away pizzas on opening night to attract customers. The gambit worked, and soon Pizza Hut was off and running with their first franchise opened the following year in Topeka, Kansas.

By the 1960's, the opening of their 150th US franchise also marked the opening of first Pizza Hut in Canada. From there, the company expanded into Munich, Germany, and Sydney, Australia.

By 1971, Pizza Hut was already the world's largest pizza chain with 1,000 franchises and millions of dollars in earnings. A year later, the chain gained a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Soon expanding into Japan and the UK, advertising played a key role in their continued growth as the company's advertising budget more than tripled throughout the 70's to raise Pizza Hut's US profile.

Attracting the attention of Pepsico in 1977, Pizza Hut was purchased by the soft drink giant that resulted in explosive growth throughout the 80's and 90's — soon goading even fast food giant McDonald's in 1989 to launch "McPizza" (one of their few marketing failures up to that time.)

Today under Pepsico's restaurant arm, YUM! Brands, Pizza Hut remains a worldwide phenomenon and is a popular favorite in far-flung cities from Miami to Moscow.

Over the years, TV and print advertising campaigns have focused on celebrity appearances by such names as Ringo Starr, Jessica Simpson and the Muppets. Owing to its popularity as a convenient party snack food on game days, Pizza Hut is also an annual mainstay of the wildly anticipated Super Bowl TV commercial lineup.

Pizza Hut menu

Thin & Crispy Pizza, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Stuffed Pan Pizza, The Big New Yorker Pizza, The Edge Pizza, Pan Pizza

Pizza Hut toppings - pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, chicken, red onions, black olives, green peppers, bacon, mushroom, beef, pork, tomatoes

Pizza Hut Lovers & Supremes Menu

Pepperoni Lovers, Meat Lovers, Cheese Lovers, Curry Chicken Lovers, Veggie Lovers,
Sausage Lovers, Seafood Supreme, Chicken Supreme, Super Supreme, Super Hawaiian Supreme, Hawaiian Lovers

Big Eat Tiny Price menu - Pizza Rolls, the P'Zone Pizza, Personal Panormous Pizza, and the Pizza Mia Pizza

Pizza Hut sides - 6 pc Sweet & Spicy Drumlets, Breadsticks w/ Dip, garlic bread, beef lasagna, 10 pc Sweet & Spicy Drumlets, seafood lasagna

More about Pizza Hut around the Web:

Pizza Hut.com - The official site offering information on current specials and promotions, online ordering and delivery, store locations finder, menu and nutrition information, company history.

Pizza Hut - Wikipedia - Good overview of its history, notable advertising campaigns, company stats and related resources, photos.

Pizza Hut, Inc. - Company History - Detailed financial history chronicling company successes, earnings, notable product launches, and advertising campaigns.

also see in Fast Food ->