(Uskings) Memorable turning points in the 64-year journey of conquering consumers of America’s largest pizza restaurant chain – Pizza Hut (1958)

The chain has 17,639 restaurants worldwide as of 2020, making it the world’s largest pizza chain by a number of locations. It is owned by Yum! Brands, Inc., is one of the world’s largest restaurant companies.

The company’s milestones:

-On May 31, 1958 – Pizza Hut was founded on May 31, 1958, by two brothers, Dan and Frank Carney, both Wichita State students, as a single location in Wichita, Kansas. Six months later they opened a second outlet and within a year they had six Pizza Hut restaurants.

– In 1959 – The brothers began franchising 1959. The iconic Pizza Hut building style was designed in 1963 by Chicago architect George Lindstrom and was implemented in 1969.

– In 1965 – Pizza Hut’s first television commercial was produced 1965 by Bob Walterscheidt for the Harry Crow agency in Wichita, and was entitled “Putt-Putt to the Pizza Hut”.

– In 1967 – A pizza hut restaurant was built-in five days by franchisees at the Oklahoma State Fair. The world’s largest pizza (6 feet in diameter) is baked and served at the grand opening of Fort Worth, Texas Pizza Hut® restaurant.

– In 1968 – The international market entered with the opening of a pizza hut restaurant in Canada Pizza hut serves a million people a week at its 310 locations.

– In 1969 – The first pizza hut restaurant opens in Mexico.

– In 1970 – Sandwiches were added to the basic menu of thin ‘n crispy® pizza, salad, beer, and soft drinks the first restaurant opened in Australia.

– In 1971 – Pizza hut becomes the number one pizza restaurant chain in the world in both sales and number of restaurants.

– In 1973 – Pizza hut restaurants open in Japan and England.

– In 1975 – Thick’n Chewy® pizza was introduced. Chatsworth, CA Pizza Hut restaurant is used in the filming of “the bad news bears”.

– In 1979 – The Sicilian Pan Pizza is introduced.

– In 1980 – Pan pizza is introduced throughout the system the restaurants are opened to more than 4,000.

– In 1983 – Personal Pan Pizza®, with a five-minute guarantee, is introduced throughout the system.

– In 1986 – Pizza Hut celebrates the opening of its 5,000th restaurant, located in Dallas, Texas. The delivery service, as a new concept, is initiated.

– In 1988 – Hand-Tossed Traditional Pizza is introduced throughout the system.

– In 1989 – The Pizza Hut Jobs Plus® program expands nationwide to employ more than 10,000 individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. The Jobs Plus program is recognized as the largest corporate initiative of its kind in the food service industry.

– In 1992 – Pizza Hut provides 120,000 free meals to relief volunteers and those who lost their homes.

– In 1993 – Pizza Hut introduces BIGFOOT Pizza — two square feet of pizza cut into 21 slices.

– In 1996 – Pizza Hut delivers 30% of the 12 million pizzas delivered on Super Bowl Sunday. This is the biggest pizza delivery day of the year.

– In 1997 – Pizza Hut launches a meatier pepperoni. Pizza Hut launches “Totally New Pizzas” a quality initiative putting sliced, fresh vegetables and meaty meats on pizzas. Pizza Hut launches “The Edge pizza”.

– In 1999 – Pizza Hut launches The Big New Yorker Pizza. A 16 inch pizza with a sweeter, savory sauce, 100% real cheese cut into 8 big foldable slices.

– In July 2000 – Pizza Hut became the first company in history to place its logo on the world’s largest proton rocket.

– In 2001 – Pizza Hut became the first company in history to deliver pizza to the pioneers living in outer space on the International Space Station.

– In 2004 – An upscale concept was unveiled in 2004, called “Pizza Hut Italian Bistro”. At 50 U.S. locations, the Bistro is similar to a traditional Pizza Hut, except that the menu features new, Italian-themed dishes such as penne pasta, chicken pomodoro, and toasted sandwiches.

– On May 9, 2008 – Pizza Hut created “The Natural” pizza, which featured natural ingredients and was sold in Seattle, Denver and Dallas.

– In 2014 – “Tavan Bogd Foods Pizza” LLC officially opened Pizza Hut on July 14, 2014 in Mongolia.

– In January 2019 – Pizza Hut announced it had expanded beer delivery to 300 locations across the U.S., with plans to expand to 1,000 locations by the summer.

According to populartimelines.com; en.wikipedia.org; Source of photos: internet