The place to be in the 70s and 80s for pizza was the American staple, ‘Pizza Hut.’ Families would go out after a football game. Friends would gather after a hard day at school, and many memories were made in these quaint, red-roofed restaurants.
You may remember the excellent lunch buffet. They also had a jukebox and arcade games, including table-top ‘Ms. Pacman’ games. Their classic chandeliers hung over every table, and everyone drank from see-through red glasses.
You would sit in burnt red pleather booths adorned with red and white checkered tablecloths, and pizzas would arrive at your table in hot skillets. Pizza Hut even ran the ‘Book It’ program, which let students turn their reading progress at school into a personal pan pizza.
It all started in 1958 when Frank and Dan Carney borrowed $600 from their mom to open a small pizza joint in Wichita, Kansas. They rented a small building and got second-hand equipment. The sign outside the building would only fit 8 letters, so the brothers named it ‘Pizza Hut.’
It was so successful they added 6 more locations within a year. After 1 year, they incorporated, and franchising began, and by 1966, there were 145 Pizza Hut locations. Pizza Pete, their mascot, wore a checkered bandana, hat, and mustache. He was eventually phased out and replaced by the iconic red roof.
In 1977, the Carney brothers sold the business to Pepsico. In the 1980s, Dominos and Little Caesar’s competition caused Pizza Hut to do a complete makeover. They reduced their prices and started delivery. The redesign marked the end of an era for the classic Pizza Hut look and feel.
The original building was moved to the Wichita State University Campus, where it was turned into a museum filled with memorabilia. That’s the only place in America that has retained the classic Pizza Hut tradition. While we don’t have the red-roof hangout anymore, we still have all the great memories of family and friends surrounded by fantastic pizza.
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