Ah, pizza, the one dish that everyone around the world loves.
With millions of different pizza chains all over the globe, there is certainly no shortage
of the stuff.
However, it is safe to say that everyone has their favorite pizza place, be it a local
company or a global franchise.
One thing for sure is that Pizza Hut is probably the most successful and popular pizza franchise
in the world.
You might think that you know everything there is to know about this well-loved chain, but
there are some things that you never would have guessed.
So here are the top 10 untold truths of Pizza Hut.
The Pizza Hut Founders Were Still in College when they launched the Franchise
Pizza Hut was founded way back in June 1958, in Kansas, by Dan and Frank Carney, who were
students at Wichita State University at the time.
In order to start their business venture, the two brothers borrowed $600 from their
mother, which at the time was a considerable sum of money.
Within 6 months of opening their first location, they had purchased and opened a second, and
within a year of being in business, they were operating a total of 6 Pizza Hut locations.
The actual franchising of the chain didn’t begin until 1959.
The famous style of Pizza Hut building that we see today with the red roof was designed
back in 1963.
What you might not know is that there are actually different concept locations with
different designs.
For example, Pizza Hut Italian Bistro locations have a burgundy and tan motif, as opposed
to the traditional black, white and red.
These locations serve traditional Italian dishes such as the Chicken Pomodoro and penne
pasta dishes.
If you are a lover of Italian food then you should definitely visit.
Pizza Hut Express and The Hut locations are more geared towards the fast food element
of dining and only offer a limited menu.
These locations are usually found in malls and on college campuses.
In China, Pizza Hut offers more of a fine-dining experience, where customers are able to enjoy
their meal with a knife and fork!
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Pizza Hut Has Some Interesting Menu Items in Different Countries
As we all know, Pizza Hut is a global franchise that operates in many different countries
including the UK, Russia, China, and Australia to name just a few.
Different countries offer different menu items, some of which are rather interesting, to say
the least.
Most international locations will offer traditional menu items with a local twist.
For example, getting a takeout pizza in China may seem a little strange given that it is
not a traditional dish.
The Chinese have a perfect solution – they offer regional dishes such as chicken fried
teriyaki rice.
Why wouldn’t you order Chinese takeout from an Italian-American fast food joint?
Canada is well known for its national dish of poutine.
If you haven’t heard of it before, it is a dish consisting of French fries covered
in gravy and topped with cheese curds.
The dish sounds pretty tasty on its own.
When stuck on top of a pizza, not so much.
However, at some Canadian Pizza Hut locations, you can actually get a poutine Pizza.
Thai food is and always has been very popular in the US.
If you’re in Thailand and you’re craving fusion food, then you can go to a Pizza Hut
location and get a chicken Tom Yum pizza.
This is a combination of hot and sour chicken and vegetables served on top of a traditional
pizza.
Not my kind of thing, but it might be to your taste!
Pizza Hut Once Delivered a Pizza into Outer Space
Way back in 2001, Pizza Hut actually delivered a pizza into outer space.
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachov got the envious task of feasting on the delicious treat.
He was one of the teams of Russian cosmonauts who were living on board the International
Space Station at the time.
As you can imagine, the delivery of said pizza certainly took longer than the standard 30
minutes.
The pizza was delivered to the International Space Station via a Russian rocket that had
been sent to resupply the ISS.
Of course, it couldn’t be a standard pizza.
Extra salt and spices had to be added to it because being in space actually deadens the
taste buds.
As well as this, they had to substitute pepperoni for salami to avoid the risk of the pepperoni
going bad on the journey.
Pizza Hut reportedly paid a whopping $1 million for the promotional stunt which included footage
of Usachov eating the pizza and the fast food chain’s logo being stuck onto the rocket
for all to see.
Talk about an expensive marketing campaign!
Propose with a Pizza from Pizza Hut
So, they’ve been to space.
They have some interesting menu offerings in different countries.
What can we deduce from these facts?
Well, we know Pizza Hut is a little out there, that’s for sure.
This is why it comes as no surprise that they offer a proposal package.
This package will set you back a massive $10,010.
It includes a ruby engagement ring (it couldn’t be any other precious stone, let’s be honest),
a limo service, a big bouquet of flowers, a personal fireworks show, a professional
videographer, and photographer and of course, not forgetting the food.
Within your proposal package, you will get a medium pizza, 5 breadsticks with marinara
sauce and 10 cinnamon sticks.
What better way to propose to your better half!
I can’t say that I would be very impressed with my partner if they chose to use this
way to propose to me.
That’s an awful lot of money to be spending on such a package.
To be honest, I think that I’d prefer a cheaper ring, maybe a vacation and a bigger
pizza.
The Figures at Pizza Hut are Shocking!
Given the fact that Pizza Hut is the longest standing pizza chain and they are probably
the most popular Italian-American fast food joint worldwide, you would expect the figures
to be high.
You would definitely not be wrong!
To start with, there are over 11,000 locations all over the world.
They operate in more than 100 different countries.
The fast-food chain goes through a massive 300 million pounds of cheese per year, which
requires a staggering 360 million gallons of milk to make.
Can you imagine how many dairy cows it would take to produce this much milk?!
As you can imagine, pepperoni is probably the most popular pizza topping in the world.
This is why Pizza Hut goes through an unbelievable 7 million pounds of pepperoni every single
year.
The most popular Pizza Hut location can be found in Moscow, Russia.
The Russians certainly love their pizza!
Pizza Hut are Innovators in Stuffed Crust Creations
Stuffed crust pizzas are hugely popular worldwide.
Obviously, it’s going to cost you a little extra if you want the crust of your pizza
stuffed with some extra goodness, but it is totally worth it.
Pizza Hut claims that they were actually the inventors of the famous stuffed crust.
However, this claim has been hugely contested by Brooklyn native Anthony Mongiello who claims
that he actually invented it way back in 1987 and states that he has a patent to prove it.
Regardless, Pizza Hut has come up with some delicious stuffed crust varieties over the
years.
It started off with the standard cheese stuffed crust.
These days, however, there are a number of different varieties that you can get; cheeseburger,
hot dog, garlic – these are just a few examples, there are many more.
The next time you order your pizza, make sure that you try one of these delicious stuffed
crust pizzas.
Different countries will offer different types of stuffed crust options.
In Japan, you can even get a sushi-style stuffed crust pizza.
If you’re a sushi lover then you might find this appealing!
Many Famous Faces Have Appeared in Pizza Hut Ads
As any successful business owner will tell you; advertising really is everything, especially
these days where social media does a large amount of deciding on the success or failure
of a business.
Fortunately, Pizza Hut has always known what it takes to promote their franchise.
Over the years, they have had several successful marketing campaigns.
As we covered earlier, they sent a pizza into space.
Not only this, but they once planned on engraving their logo into the surface of the moon.
This plan was scrapped once they figured out that the logo would need to be the size of
Texas in order to be seen from earth.
However, they have had many famous faces appear in their advertisements.
Faces such as Donald Trump, Ringo Starr, Elijah Wood, and so many others have appeared in
promotional ads for this pizza franchise.
Pizza Hut is so well known for their advertising campaigns now that many of us look forward
to their next stunt before even thinking about any new treats that might appearing on their
menus.
Pizza Hut Offered a Pizza Box That Turned Into a Projector
Pizza and a movie – this is the traditional Saturday night activity for those among us
who are too old (or too lazy) for partying the night away.
While watching a movie at home is totally fine, the lack of a projector does take away
some of the authenticity of the cinema atmosphere.
Fortunately, Pizza Hut Hong Kong came up with a perfect solution in the form of a pizza
box that could be transformed into a cell phone projector once you were done with your
pizza.
This promotion never extended past Hong Kong, unfortunately.
However, there are a few things that I can see wrong with this idea.
First of all, I for one certainly do not want my cell phone to be covered in pizza grease.
Secondly, as much as I love pizza, I definitely don’t want to smell it every time I put
the phone to my ear.
Thirdly and finally, what if the heat from the box damages my phone!
No, too many risks involved with this one for me.
However, it certainly proved popular in Hong Kong back in 2015.
Pizza Hut is known for its wild ideas.
They even have their own merchandise including pepperoni adorned caps, glasses and even t-shirts.
Why?
Well, it’s Pizza Hut.
Why not?
Pizza Hut, Innovators in Online Ordering
When it comes to thinking about online ordering, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Amazon
or eBay were among the first to offer products delivered via the internet.
However, one of the first things to be ordered online was actually a pizza from Pizza Hut.
This was way back in 1994 and the first pizza to be ordered was a pepperoni pizza with mushrooms
and extra cheese.
There are some disputes over whether or not the fast food chain was the very first online
order ever made as there are some people who state that they just missed claiming the title
to a Sting album.
However, whether this is the case or not, they can claim that they were the first fast-food
chain to offer online ordering as they have been doing so since the early 1990s.
So, as well as being the first chain to send a fast food delivery into space, they’re
innovators in online ordering too!
It seems that the chain likes to be pioneers, as a few years ago they actually found themselves
placed in the Guinness Book of World Records when they sent a pizza to the summit of Mount
Kilimanjaro.
Why?
Because PR, that’s why.
This and they’re Pizza Hut, they can do what they like!
So, not only have they now delivered to the International Space Station, and delivered
to Barbara Bush at the White House, they have now also used trekkers to transport the dish
to one of the highest points in the world.
The pizza had to be kept warm by a battery powered heater for the 4 days that it took
to reach the peak.
It was a PR stunt to celebrate the opening of locations in their 100th country.
Pizza Hut Has a Long-Standing Relationship with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been a part of our lives for many years now.
They are especially recognizable to those who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s.
What you might not realize is that Pizza Hut actually has a long-standing relationship
with the heroes in a half shell.
If you have ever watched the cartoon then you will know that pizza is a huge part of
it.
Over the years, The Hut has carried out numerous marketing campaigns with the turtles, from
special pizza toppings to an actual life size pizza launcher that featured at Comic-Con.
Of course, the launcher wasn’t actually operational and didn’t launch pizzas at
the bad guys (much to my disappointment), but it was still very cool nonetheless.
The relationship between the turtles and Pizza Hut is still an ongoing one, so it is likely
that we will see new advertising campaigns in the future if they choose to release another
movie.
I certainly hope so because their partnership is fantastic.
Here’s another fantastic partnership.
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