- $4 is struggling to keep its No. 1 market share in the $38 billion US pizza market, as $4 and $4 continue to expand.
- For people who grew up on Pizza Hut, its restaurants today are a pale imitation of the brand's 1980s and 1990s heyday, when the restaurants were a buzzing place to sit down and have a meal.
- But the US only accounts for half of Pizza Hut's business. When traveling, I have found that international Pizza Huts retain the upscale sit-down feel of classic Pizza Huts.
- I tried a number of dishes at a Pizza Hut restaurant in $4 and found the food to be tastier and fresher than its American counterpart.
For those that grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, Pizza Hut was an experience.
I have many fond memories of that red-roofed Church of 'Za - its translucent red cups, the hanging stained glass lamps, the seemingly infinite salad bar, the joy of the midday pizza buffet, and the smell of a sizzling pizza in a pan.
Not these days. It's no secret that the brand has seen better days.
Over the last two decades, Pizza Hut's $4 has dwindled from 25% in 1995 to around 14%, as Domino's and Papa John's continue to grow. Many industry analysts suspect that, by the end of the year, Domino's $4 as the top pizza brand in the US.
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As Pizza Hut has tried to grow sales, it has turned increasingly to its competitors' strategies of relying on low-margin, high-volume delivery and takeout locations. In the US, there are only a handful of the beloved red-roofed sit-down restaurants left.
But the US only accounts for half of Pizza Hut's revenue, with the rest coming from its $4 across the world. Pizza Hut and its parent company, Yum! Brands, have expanded aggressively across the world, often being the first American brands to touch down in far-flung places. Yum Brand's KFC $4 in China, with Pizza Hut close behind. In 2009, Pizza Hut $4 to open in Nepal.
As I've traveled around the world, I've noticed - whether I'm in China, Japan, or the Middle East - that the Pizza Hut of Old still lives. In many of the 100 countries that Pizza Hut has locations, it still operates as an upscale sit-down restaurant.
On a recent trip to the Dubai Mall, I spotted a sit-down Pizza Hut that had a fresh, new look. I decided to give it a try to see what it was like.