A Look at How Pizza Hut Went from Not to Hot

Pizza Hut, the most popular pizza restaurant in the world that we all know and love, hasn’t always had an easy time of making a name for itself. The brand is getting on for 60 years old now, but it took the owners plenty of time and effort to secure the business as the most popular pizza restaurant in the world – and it certainly didn’t happen overnight. Let’s have a look at how the famous brand went from zero to hero and took the pizzeria industry by storm.

The First Restaurant Looked Like an Old Shack

The first restaurant, quite frankly, looked nothing short of an old shack. However, it was that shack looking restaurant that built a foundation for what was to become one of the most successful pizza restaurants in the world. The first restaurant was opened by two brothers, Dan and Frank Carney, in 1958. They couldn’t pull the $600 themselves that was needed to buy the property and equipment needed, but luckily for them, their mother was willing to front it. From there, the American-based pizzeria located in Wichita was on the path to becoming a global giant.

The Carney Brothers Took Their Pizzeria Overseas

The Carney brothers knew they had something special with their pizza brand, so taking it overseas was inevitable to share the taste of their work with the whole world. Pizza Hut first came to the UK in 1973 and started out as a one-restaurant business in Islington, London. The restaurant was an instant hit in the UK and so more restaurants started popping up all over the UK. Now, more than 700 Pizza Hut pizzerias can be found across the country – not bad for a business that looked like it was started out of a public toilet. 

Pizza Hut Has Always Invested in Their Employees

Why is Pizza Hut such a big brand today? It’s not just because they make tasty pizzas - it’s also because they’ve relied on their employees and have always invested time in training them right. Poor employees with little to no motivation can be the downfall of any company, but Pizza Hut didn’t let that happen and they’ve only employed those that care about providing a top service. Pizza Hut quickly realised that it was the quality customer service that was going to take them a long way, and it has paid dividends in their success. 

 

A Look at Pizza Hut Now

Now, Pizza Hut sits 24th in the list of the 200 most influential businesses in the world – not a bad feat for a business that was started in a space no bigger than your typical garage. Pizza Hut now has more than 10,000 locations around the world, and employs more than 160,000 people to help serve their loyal customers.

Pizza Hut has literally gone from not to hot in a matter of a few decades. If you saw the restaurant they first owned, you’d probably wonder how a small-time pizza business started by two brothers was going to end up being one of the most well-known pizzerias around the world.