Pizza Hut has long been one of the most popular pizza chains around. But exactly how did it get its start, and how much cheese and pepperoni does it use every year? These are important questions, and we’ve got the answers right here! So, put in your delivery order, then check out these Pizza Hut facts while you wait for your pie to arrive.
History of the Hut
Pizza Hut has been open for more than five decades, and it’s evolved quite a bit since then. You might not have heard these facts about how it got its start:
- Pizza Hut’s founders were two brothers from the Midwest — Dan and Frank Carney — who asked their mother for $600 to open the first store in 1958.
- The first store was located in Wichita, Kansas, and you can still visit the building today on what is now the Wichita State University campus.
- Pizza Hut got its name when one of the founder’s wives said the first store looked like it was in the shape of a hut.
- You used to be able to buy a small pizza at Pizza Hut for 95 cents, and a large for $1.50.
- Pizza Hut’s mascot and logo was once Pizza Pete, who had a mustache, chef’s hat, and apron, but the red roof logo replaced Pizza Pete in 1969.
Publicity Stunts
Pizza Hut has used some pretty creative — and sometimes funny — tactics to get noticed.
- Pizza Hut released its own perfume to celebrate 100,000 fans on Facebook, and of course, it tantalized with the scent of pizza dough and seasonings.
- Pizza Hut partnered with the 1990 original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie, spending more than $20 million on marketing, even though in the film, Domino’s supplied the pizza that appeared.
- Commercials for Pizza Hut have featured some very famous people, including Elijah Wood, Donald Trump, Ringo Starr, Mikhail Gorbachev, and James Franco (before he was famous!).
- Pizza Hut offers a wedding package that includes flowers, a ring, a limo ride, fireworks, a photographer, a $10 dinner box, and more.
- This company became the first business to deliver pizza to space when it sent a pizza to the International Space Station in 2001, though it surely charged a bit more than the standard delivery fee.
By the Numbers
Given how popular Pizza Hut is and how long it’s been around, these big numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise:
- Pizza Hut has over 11,000 locations around the world.
- More than 100 countries have a Pizza Hut.
- The most profitable location is in Moscow, and it makes about $6,500 each day.
- Pizza Hut goes through over 360 million gallons of milk per year in order to produce the 300 million pounds of cheese its pizzas demand.
- This restaurant uses 7 million pounds of pepperoni per year.