By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-06 01:47:16 | Updated at 2024-12-22 16:16:15
2 weeks ago
Pizza Hut is chasing fast-food customers with an intriguing new restaurant design.
The pizza giant has found it harder to compete for delivery and dine-in customers so has branched out with a brand new drive-thru location.
Pizza Hut said it is piloting the concept in Plano, Texas with a new 'Hut 'N Go' menu focusing on items that can be ordered and quickly picked up at the window.
The location will have self-serve kiosks to order the ready-to-go items, as well as contactless pickup cabinets for mobile orders.
'This new restaurant showcases Pizza Hut's legacy of innovation and unique ability to meet changing guest needs in ways that are distinctive to our brand,' Aaron Powell, CEO of Pizza Hut, said.
'Beyond just serving pizza, which we do very well, it's equally as critical that our guests enjoy a seamless experience with us that feels personalized to their tastes and needs.'
The chain has also tried to win back customers with new pizza designs, such as the recent introduction of the Personal Pan Pizza, a 6-inch pie designed for one.
Pizza Hut and rivals such as Papa John's have struggled after losing their competitive edge as food delivery services have exploded in recent years.
Pizza Hut is opening its first US drive-thru in Plano, Texas near the company headquarters
The new restaurant features contactless pickup cabinets for mobile orders
Pizza Hut has seen four straight quarters of sales declines after hiking prices and putting customers off.
While new to Pizza Hut in the US the drive-thru concept is used by the brand in almost 2,000 of its locations in international markets.
The company said that the design drives more transactions and in-restaurant traffic than other restaurant formats.
'We've seen how this restaurant design brings the brand to life with a distinctive, modern exterior, an effortless blend of physical and digital touchpoints and increased human interaction around the joy of pizza,' Joseph Call, global chief development officer for Pizza Hut said in a statement.
'In addition, the open kitchen approach lets our guests see the magic of our team members in motion.'
Almost 130 Pizza Hut locations are soon set to close after the franchisee that runs them filed for bankruptcy.
The franchisee, EYM, blamed Pizza Hut for its financial problems, claiming its sales have been badly hit by the pizza chain not modernizing its menus or app to keep up with rivals like Domino's and Little Caesar's.
Meanwhile, a recent survey rated the best cities for pizza across America.
New York City and Chicago are normally up there, and Detroit was top the previous two years.
But it was Denver, Colorado, that claimed to be best for pizza, according to a comprehensive study that looked at EIGHT measures.
In a nutshell, researchers from Clever Real Estate considered typical price, the number of restaurants and how well they were rated plus a so-called 'pizza passion' score.
Across those, the Mile High City rose to the top across 50 of the biggest US metros.
NYC did land one unwanted accolade - the most expensive pizzas in America where a large pepperoni is almost $34.
