RISE - Menu Monitor

Pizza Hut is now offering online ordering at nearly all of its U.S. delivery locations. The new Pizza Hut website features
innovative tools that make online ordering easy. Customers can fill out a profile that Pizza Hut uses to link customers to
special offers, coupons, menu and prices and create customized “pizza playlists” the contain favorite pizza orders. Full menu
options are available and customers can order up to seven days in advance. (Company Release 6/5/07)
Personnel |
Brian Niccol, Chief Marketing Officer
David C. Novak, CEO
Mike Tattersfield, CEO
Rick Carucci, CFO
Leah Evans, Chief Food Innovation Officer
Pizza Hut promoted Brian Niccol to Chief Marketing Officer, replacing Bill Ogle. Niccol previously served as Vice President of
National Brand Marketing and Strategy. (Qsrmagazine.com 9/20/07)
News & Other |
Pizza Hut is rolling out a new design for its WingStreet concept. Approximately 800 Pizza Hut restaurants are co-branded with
the chicken wing concept. WingStreet was originally envisioned as a delivery and takeout concept to help expand Pizza Hut’s
menu choices, but the new Pizza Hut/WingStreet outlets offer seating for 80–135 customers as well as a bar serving beer,
wine, and frozen drinks. Three co-branded dine-in units are expected to open in Sacramento, Hayward and South Lake
Tahoe, CA, within the next four months. In addition, Pizza Hut has launched a marketing campaign with television, radio and
print ads in 13 markets, announcing the WingStreet expansion and using the tagline, “Let Pizza Hut deliver WingStreet to your
street.” The company is hoping to have 1,000 outlets of its WingStreet brand by 2007. (Nation’s Restaurant News Online
11/01/06)
Pizza Hut is continuing to test Pizza Hut Italian Bistro, its more upscale dine-in concept. There are currently 100 such
restaurants in operation and the company is still mulling expansion plans. (Nation’s Restaurant News Online 11/01/06)
A Pizza Hut customer filed a personal injury suit against a man she held a door open for at the restaurant. The customer,
Amanda Verett, claims that she held the door open for herself and a man behind her when the man allegedly grabbed the door
in a way that caused the door to sharply and suddenly move. She was injured as a result. She also claims that she was unable
to avoid a later injury of torn tendons and injuries to her left hand and wrist due to the injury she suffered at Pizza Hut. Verett
claims that the injuries have caused her severe pain, discomfort, disfigurement and medical expenses and is seeking
$150,000, plus costs, in damages. (Madisonrecord.com 4/20/07)
Pizza Hut’s former takeout location in Eugene, OR, is being replaced with an outlet that combines Pizza Hut’s menu with
WingStreet items. The Eugene location is the first of its kind in the state of Oregon, but the company is looking to convert all
Pizza Hut locations in Eugene and Springfield to the co-branded concept. Two other Pizza Huts in Eugene are currently under
development for the co-branded concept. (Registerguard.com 6/15/07)
Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and other large pizza chains had to raise the prices of their pizzas because of rising cheese costs.
Both Pizza Hut and Papa John’s raised the prices of cheese pizzas to equal the price of a one-topping pizza. The cheese
pizzas cost the chains more because they require an extra cup of cheese. (Dailyherald.com 7/11/07)
Pizza Hut franchisee NPC International Inc. reported for the second quarter net earnings of $1.4 million compared to a net loss
of $16.1 million for the same period last year. Company revenues increased 15.7% to $172.0 million from $148.7 million.
Same-store sales rose 3.5%. (Bizjournals.com 8/13/07)
Pizza Hut has signed a multiyear deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins to be the hockey team’s official pizza concessionaire. The
chain will supply onsite concessions and restaurants in the Penguin’s current home, Mellon Arena, and will also service the
new arena slated to open for the 2010-2011 season. Yum Brands Inc., parent company of Pizza Hut, also operates Taco Bell,
KFC, Long John Silver’s and A&W All-American Foods. (Business First of Louisville 8/9/07; Yahoo! Finance 8/9/07)
Yum! Brands Inc. plans to add Wing Street chicken operations to more of its Pizza Hut restaurants. Wing Street sells chicken
wings in flavors such as Buffalo Burnin’ Hot, Honey Barbecue and Garlic Parmesan, at 1,000 locations nationwide. Yum!
Brands operates and franchises more than 5,100 Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. Its other brands include KFC, Long John
Silver’s, Taco Bell and A&W. (The Dallas Morning News Online 10/10/07)
©Technomic Information Services 2007, CIS profiles may not be copied or distributed in any print or electronic format without a license or written consent.
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