The Decline and Fall of Pizza Hut

It still is in China.

Oh, no, OP!

Love their buffet!

Most people have never eaten that shit.

Italians find Pizza Hut insulting.

Hillary eats the pizza and ... other stuff.

When I was a kid going to Pizza Hut was a treat. I still remember how good it smelled when you walked through the door.

Smells like ass.

我们爱这个狗屎！

Is Pizza Inn still a thing?

wasn't Pizza Hut's ubiquity just a short fad in the 90s? Rarely anyone mentions it anymore

That's because it peaked in the '80s. I wouldn't set foot in one today.

Pizza Hut was huge in the 80s OMG. With the exposed brick walls and custom made bar lamps, it sort of felt like going to a bar that children could go to.

What are you talking about? It still has thousands of US locations.

R14 you do realize now that almost all Pizza Huts now consist of a mere vestibule where you pick up pizza you ordered on the Internet?

I used to go to a Pizza Hut in Decatur GA 20 years ago. Still there?

That was the last one I actually sat in to eat a pizza.

When a Pizza Hut opened in my small town (in the 90s!) people thought they'd died and gone to heaven. Place did some business!

Yes - I remember when one opened in the mid-80's when I was in high school. We would try to order a pitcher of beer (drinking age was 19), and then would stammer a bit when they asked for ID saying pop would be fine.

It had a different crust. I had not had it in years and ordered a slice to go in Target a year or so ago just for old times sake. The crust is different now. Not that it was incredible then, but it kind of thwarted the purpose of having a piece for the sake of nostalgia, since it was no longer the same.

[quote] and then would stammer a bit when they asked for ID saying pop would be fine.

What's "pop"? Your father?

Not in NJ. No one really went there 30 years ago. I drove past one recently and there were 2 cars there during lunch. It is one restaurant that I won't morn its passing.

If you're starving Pizza Hut is ok. But if you want a good pizza the Hut is the last place any intelligent person would go.

Is it worse than Domino's?

Yes, by far. And Dominos is shit pizza.

Their pizzas look too orange.

It was no Shakey's.

Love Domino's, not a fan of Pizza Hut tho.

I loved going there in the early 90's for their Book It! program. I think if you read five books you got a free personal pan pizza or something.

I agree r18. I remember the first time I had one of their personal pizzas- I was amazed at the crust and the thickness of the bread. I'd never had one like that before (I was 8)

I ordered a PizzaHut pizza about a year ago just to try it again, and it was so greasy and made me queasy. I think it's a kid thing to enjoy their pizza.

It's on par with Cici's, another pizza buffet for the morbidly obese without much money.

Book It pin. Anyone do this as a kid?

You beat me to it, r25.

Shakey's was the first pizza restaurant I ever went to. Great pizza and great beer too.

[quote] Their pizzas look too orange.

Deplorable pizzas.

[quote] Book It pin. Anyone do this as a kid?

Apparently R27 did.

I have never set foot in a pizza hut. I grew up in a city with great mom and pop pizza joints. Reading some of these posts are just SAD.

"I NEVER had an 80s suburban childhood and I don't know why anyone would want to have had one either!"

We couldn't afford Pizza Hut when I was a kid. A treat was a frozen pizza like Totinos.

I haven't had that in so many years...it was good when I was younger but they have probably cost-controlled every possible step and I assume it tastes like chemicals now?

[quote] Their pizzas look too orange.

"Ivanka, call up the Pizza Hut CEO to cater the Inauguration."

[quote]What's "pop"? Your father?

Soda or Soda Pop. I think pop is more of a Midwest term for soda.

We couldn't afford Pizza Hut. We always had DiGiorno's. It's just as good as delivery.

Thank you, R38.

lol yes pop means soda... people still get confused about that? I remember getting to college and it was the first time I ever met non-Midwesterners. They thought "pop" was some hilarious hick expression / sign of inbreeding. Unlike some of my fellow high school friends, I refused to cave in and change my ways. There are a few others. "Gym shoes" I think, confuses some people. (Sneakers sounds funny to me...where are you sneaking?)

In Michigan we say pop, and gym shoes were referred to as tennis shoes no matter what the type. That changed when they started getting more specialized and expensive.

[quote] lol yes pop means soda... people still get confused about that?

I hadn't heard that until today. I also learned a few weeks ago that "mac" means macaroni.

We would also say tenner shoes or tenners. I never thought of it, but the terms tennis shoes, sneakers etc. are used less frequently and have been replaced by referring the brand, Nikes etc. or something more specific, running shoes etc.

For your edification and amazement!

We call them pumped up kicks.

R46 never have school shootings been so catchy.

I don't know if this applies everywhere or if it's just a Canadian promotion, but Pizza Hut is currently running the strangest commercial I've seen in years.

As a young woman opens her fridge, the announcer asks whether she will choose leftovers or the Pizza Hut daily special. She lifts the corner of a plastic container, takes a whiff, jerks her head away, saying "Eauuuff!" in the process. "We have a WINNER!" proclaims the announcer. "Pizza Hut's daily special, like Tuesday's pepperoni."

Now there's a catchy slogan:

[quote]It's better than moldy leftovers.

Or, maybe too defeatist?

why did it become less popular - did they change it and it got worse or did people get used to more genuine type of pizzas?

Nasty crusts.

When I was younger we'd eaten there a couple times. Now of course like KFC, Pizza Hut is owned by Yum Brands - greed personified.

And what else is available - Dominoes owned by a Catholic homophobe. But lo and behold we have Pizza Pieer here and in Boston.

When I was a kid, it was definitely a restaurant - took forever for the pizza to come out. Then Godfathers came along - pretty much the same, but had a take out option (and Space Invaders). Then, in the later 80's, pizza became quicker, thinner, and delivered. I think the shift to a delivery model was difficult for them - they always seemed to play catch-up after that

It was always crap.

Forbes will answer that for you R49

A few years ago I took my visiting niece who was maybe eight at the time to a Giordanos in Orlando - outpost of the Chicago deep dish restaurant. I was surprised that she liked the restaurant so much and wanted to go back - for one thing, she didn't even touch the famous stuffed pizza, she had order the thin-crust one from the kid's menu. It later occurred to me that this might have been the first time she had gone to a sit-down pizza restaurant. They don't exist anymore, for vast parts of the country.

I grew up in CT. Never had Pizza Hut until I moved to the midwest. Ugh.

I live in Dallas now. There are lots of sit-down pizza places, some very very good ones.

[quote]It later occurred to me that this might have been the first time she had gone to a sit-down pizza restaurant. They don't exist anymore, for vast parts of the country.

Some pizza places are part of Italian restaurants which have separate dining areas for customers ordering off the menu, and there's usually a sign near the entrance to the dining area - NO SLICES.

I loved going to Pizza Hut in the 80s. Wood floors, a different colored Tiffany lamp hanging over each booth, a few arcade games. In the early 80s, they'd bring you a bowl of popcorn to eat while you waited for your pizza to come out.

I grew up in a small city in west central Minnesota in the 1980s and Pizza Hut was a huge deal. Many good memories of going out for pizza with family and with friends when we were older. I remember the pizza being pretty good (but I was a kid, and all pizza seemed pretty good). My dad owned a printing company and printed coupons for the local Pizza Hut as well as some other items. In addition to being paid in money for the print work, he would also get a bunch of "Pizza Dough" - gift certificates in $20 or $25 increments that he always had a thick wad of. My sister and I were free to use the gift certificates and often took our friends out.

In retrospect, the pizza probably wasn't great but I loved it at the time. I've had Pizza Hut pizza intermittently in the last 20 years and it was nothing special but "fine." I haven't read the whole thread yet, but I'm sure someone mentioned the chain being bought and sold and at some point a bean counter probably cheapened the ingredients in the pizza (not they were ever top of the line).

Does anyone remember the Priazzo line pizza with a top and bottom crust (essentially Chicago style but not as thick and gooey). It didn't last long as I remember. My family started off preferring the normal pan pizza, but would also get the thin crust and occasionally the hand-tossed (mid-thickness).

In big northeastern cities, hell, even the burbs & small towns, there were & are genuine Italian pizzerias run by Italians. Great stuff.

Never been in a Pizza Hut.

I haven't seen a free-standing Pizza Hut for a long time. They still have sit-down locations with lunch buffets, but they're in strip malls for the most part and the bulk of business is take out and delivery.

There seems to be a billion options for pizza these days.

Is Pizzeria Uno still around?

Yes Uno is around

Between the ages of 13-20, those bastards gave me food poisoning 3 times!

Not only that, the incidents happened in 3 different states and after eating 3 different menu items...

As a kid, I used to think they had the best pizza. Which wasn't too hard, considering their only competition was Domino's. Now, Papa John's has the best pizza. I recently had a coupon for Pizza Hut and ordered some pizza there, and forgot how chintzy they were with toppings. I'll stick with Papa John's.

R65, I am assuming you are gay, so I have to ask, why are you giving money to Papa John's?

I guess I was of the generation where you still did both equally. I remember when we used to actually go to there and sit down and eat I thought it was like an upscale version of the company that delivers. I didn't realize for a while the delivered pizza came from the same place.

r60 is such a snob. I beat he said that in a fancy new england accent.

r56, where are the best sit down places in Dallas?

The Hut in the 70s and 80s was the best chain pizza joint. Used to eat their pan pizzas and they were delicious. Now---ugh. They had a good salad bar back then, too , with a yummy Romano cheese dressing.

I think they were good at a) a very tasty marinara sauce on their pizza and b) enough of it on the pizza - they didn't skimp. i like my pizza to have a decent amount of sauce on it.

Also, you could go and sit and actually order other things besides pizza. we enjoyed it on our rare family nights out during the 90's and 00's.

Someone thought Pizza Hut was 'upscale'?

Never been. Shakeys as a kid: silent movies and dim lighting. Loved their pizza too.

r66 Why, are they anti-gay or something? I don't eat there very often anyway, maybe once every couple month's.

R74, Papa John is a rabid Repug. I think it was a few years ago he was railing against Obama because if he had to give all his workers health insurance he'd have to raise the price of each pizza by 11 cents. Yes, 11 cents for healthcare coverage for ALL his employees. He's a complete fucking asshole.

I remember Shakey's! You could watch pizza being made. Remember Pizza Hut before they got big and when they were big. For what they were, not bad at all. *shrugs* They've faded now for sure.

Thanks for the nostalgic memories!

Who is R10 / the Pizza Inn troll? I read another thread on here a few days ago where somebody brought up Pizza Inn. Are you from Texas or Oklahoma?

Dominos is actually pretty good now for cheap chain pizza.

OMG, I can't believe you fatties eat pizza! No wonder you're so fat!

R35, Ellio's, eight squares.

Pizza Inn was the worst pile of shit pizzas on the planet. Like eating cardboard. The Hut used to be really good, but oddly enough once they standardized everything, the product suffered. Now it can't compare to what it was in the 70s-80s.plus they pay their at home order takers a whopping 50 cents per order.

R52, YES, the pizza took FOREVER to come out at the early sit down Pizza Hut restaurants! (Pizza Inn, too!). Remember the red glass containers for the candles?

R56, Campisi's here in Dallas has the BEST pizza I have ever tasted! Great beer, too!

AND I love Lombardi's in Manhattan!

[quote] Today's young people will never realize that Pizza Hut was once somewhere where you went to go eat the pizza in the restaurant.

Thank God for progress.

R69, Campisi's and Two Guys From Italy both have incredible pizza here in Dallas. Also, Cremora.

[quote]It later occurred to me that this might have been the first time she had gone to a sit-down pizza restaurant. They don't exist anymore, for vast parts of the country.

This is such a flyover point of view.

"Sit-down pizza restaurant" sounds like an ridiculously fancy way of saying "pizza joint," but since you're waxing poetically about the golden age of fucking PIZZA HUT I imagine that that's lost on you.

1) Pizza Hut was just chain/casual dining, period. It's not and never was some unique treasure now lost to time. It was a Red Robin that made pizza instead of burgers. Your weird nostalgia is rather sad and, well, weird.

2) Pizza itself is now widely available in forms as diverse as frozen DiGiorno's in your grocer's freezer to artisanal flat breads served by hipsters in gastro pubs. There are also myriad recipes from celebrity chefs and cable channels devoted to cooking shows. In other words: it's not 1985 anymore.

3) HOW FAT ARE YOU???

We went to Shakey's when I was a kid in Albuquerque. I remember seeing Charlie Chaplin silents that I swear people now say are lost to the sands of time.

A personal pizza from Godfather's was the perfect hangover cure when I was in college in the early 80s. Sausage, mushroom, green chile. Yum yum.

Pizza Hut disgusted me when they started cutting the pepperoni slices in half. Cheap bastards.

I remember eating there when I was 5 and they had paper placemats with Vicki the Robot from [italic]Small Wonder[/italic]. I kid you not. They even did a whole episode whose plot revolved around it.

I actually participated in the Book-It program in the 2nd grade. What better way to get kids to read than to bribe them with junk food?

r85 , get a fucking grip. back in the 80's, a lot of us didn't live in metro/urban areas and had to take what we could get. Pizza Hut and Godfather's Pizza was available in our small town. Pizza Hut was cheaper and we were poor.

/get a clue about how life might be outside your damn bubble

It was always dirty and those red plastic cups they used never seemed clean.

They took a dive when they started making the pizza crust with a ring of hidden disgusting cheese in it.

Pizza Hut was our glimpse at a better life!

That said, they used to have a wonderful mac and cheese that came in a big foil tray. That's the only time I used to order them. Ther bread sticks seemed more like bad tasting sponge cake than bread.

MAD TV takes "stuffed crust" to the point of absurdity, but not by a lot compared to real life:

R77,I brought up Pizza Inn on the AHA thread because I worked there. 2 mentions of a long defunct restaurant do not a troll make ,dear. In fact I still have an apron I wore,though its now impossible to believe I was ever that skinny! Hard to believe that was 35 years ago!

They were really good in the 1980s when I was a kid, but by the time I worked in one in the early 1990s they'd changed the crust so it no longer tasted as good. Then they went through another kind of rebranding about a decade or so ago and the pizza changed for the worse then, too.

Now I'm in a college town that had a Hut that was something like the oldest in existence, until recently when it closed. But I hadn't eaten their pizza since 2008, when we had an incident with their delivery drivers. Our next door neighbor had a sign up for his white supremacist political candidate, and the college kids working at the Hut decided WE were the white supremacists. Two guys showed up about ready to kill us when we ordered delivery. They were finally convinced they had the wrong house but there was NO WAY we were going to eat food from that place again.

The old breadsticks were great, R92. I remember in the early 1990s getting them for 99 cents and having them for dinner.

In my little town, it was a front for drug running. After many years, the regional manager finally visited, saw what was going on, and shut it down. All I could think was Why didn't the police do anything all those years? Why didn't a Pizza Hut higher-up stop it years ago? It was blatant and the service was a joke. I was a teen the last time I went there. I saw our waitress take the leftover soda from previous patron and pour it into a pitcher which she re-served to new patrons. When you bit into a slice, oil ran down your arm.

[quote] They were really good in the 1980s when I was a kid, but by the time I worked in one in the early 1990s they'd changed the crust so it no longer tasted as good.

High-fructose corn syrup destroyed everything. Thanks a lot, George McGovern!

PIzza Hut also at one point had sandwiches that were awesome. My favorite was the meatball sub,delicious goodness! Their baked spaghetti was damn good too. To put it all into perspective,there isnt ONE restaurant that started out good that doesnt suck now. Subway,Pizza Hut TGIF's etc,all used to have good food,then they started cheapening their ingredients to the point they were barely real food any longer.

[quote]All I could think was Why didn't the police do anything all those years?

Gee idunno.

Well yeah, r100. Something like 12 of our local poice officers were busted for curruption, but I think that was before the Pizza Hut thing. I'm starting to think all towns are corrupt.

/ corruption

The strangest regional spin on pizza has to be in Biloxi, Mississippi, where they like to top a pizza with French, Catalina, or Russian dressing. Even Pizza Hut and Domino's offer it.

Fucked-up Asian Pizza Hut selections

Huge areas of the south still have appalling "Italian" food

Dallas - I like Grimaldi's and Coal Vines pizza. Cane Russe is very good to. There are several VPN (Verace Pizza Napolitana) places here.

Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut

McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut

McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut

There's a very good authentic Neapolitan pizza restaurant in Richmond, Virginia in the same neighborhood where a gay porn bookstore and a Christian bookstore are across the street from one another.

R38 : All of Canada says "pop". I noticed that Americans say "soda". Fossils say "soda pop".

In the south R109 everyone say "co-cola" no matter what the brand!

R95 is from Manhattan, Kansas!

The Canadians I know say "soft drinks"

R110 that's not really true. I live in NC and when I hear people order they just say the type of drink they want. They say 'Mountain Dew' or 'Cheerwine' when asked what they want to drink. I've never heard anyone say 'Coke' and then the waitress or cashier ask what kind and they reply 'Mellow Yellow' for example.

Maybe further down south it's like that, but not in NC.

Perhaps that thought got started because people do drink a lot of Coke down here

Texas says "coke" for all soft drinks.

People also used to go to Kentucky Fried Chicken for sit-down meals. Also owned by Yum now.

I think Yum ruined everything.

The laughs on YUM then, because I don't eat their food when it's just carry out.

As High school students, we used to go there in the 70's to meet. I never liked the pizza.

We had far better choices in the Chicago area, but Pizza Hut was the closest place and the most affordable.

R81 - I remember Pizza Inn being pretty good - far from "pile of shit". Of course my opinion may not be the most discriminating one - since at the time of my Pizza Inn indulgences, I was a kid who loved pizza. (Pizza Inn has been long gone from my neck of the woods - I don't think it lasted beyond the mid or late-'80s.) But from what I remember, the quality of Pizza Inn - i.e. restaurant experience, taste of pizza, etc. - rivaled that of Pizza Hut at the time.

I just drove by an old Pizza Inn yesterday - the only one I remember from my youth. The Pizza Inn has been gone for at least 26 years, yet the shuttered, decaying building still stands....in an area that used to be a lot nicer and less "ghetto" than it is now. (It's stunning and sad how much that area has deteriorated.)

The '80s may have been the peak in terms of national/regional pizza chains offering a certain quality-of-experience - i.e. Pizza Hut, Pizza Inn, Brickhouse Pizza....the "amusement"/kid-friendly chains such as Sergeant Singer's, Chucky Cheese, Showtime Pizza. After that, chains either closed, or started cheapening themselves.

And what's ridic is that a large pizza with 5-6 toppings is now about $25 for pick-up and more if delivered and tip.

Lower quality + stupid high prices = I now make my pizza at home or buy a frozen pie and augment it with my own cheeses and toppings.

[quote]Their pizzas look too orange.

What's the problem?

Ironically Trumpkin actually did a pretty famous Pizza Hut commercial with Ivana for the cheese-filled crust.

[quote]All of Canada says "pop".

Correct, R109. You will also never hear a Canadian refer to a "chocolate bar" as a "candy bar." And when I was a kid, it was always "running shoes" or "runners" (or sometimes "sneakers," but NEVER "tennis shoes").

Cool story, Dudley

You sure can hydrate a pizza!

PizzaHut is what passes for pizza in flyover country, no?

What's happening to the Hut?

Pizza Hut got a mention in Poltergeist!

R119 where do you live? I recently ordered from Pizza Hut and it was $10 for a large supreme. Carryout.

Pizza tasted a whole lot better back in the 80's.

No, r127. Sorry I wasn't clear. Of course I will not eat a $10 Pizza Hut pizza. They call it a "Supreme;" I call it an abomination.

The $25 I mentioned is for a local non-chain place near me.

Nobody would go to Pizza Hut in my town. It was considered sacrilege with so many fine mom and pop pizza joints around.

I was watching an 80s Pizza Hut commercial on Youtube and they were advertising an $8.99 medium meat lovers back in 1989.

The fact that a large Supreme only costs $10 almost thirty years later tells you how far they've cut quality.

R77 R10 Pizza Inn Troll. It's all in jest. But yes if you kept the apron, you're an obsessive.

When I'd recently moved to OKC, I was asked out on a date. My date took me to Pizza Inn. He said it was his treat. He had a buy one get one coupon, but was only for plain cheese or pepperoni. He explained we would share one pizza - my choice - and he wanted to take the other one home. I ordered a beer. He scowled. I replied, "Don't worry, I'll get this - I don't want to double the cost of our dinner with my beer." He requested a second date, but I declined.

Mother used to pile into her fancy cigarette trousers and pile on her most dramatic eyeshadow every third Thursday.

Us kids knew that meant it was Pizza Hut night!!!

r68 More likely NY or its NJ suburbs. I've never been to a Pizza Hut, either. Pizza just isn't chain food in some places.

Why is R85 so angry? There was an old thread about hamburgers that had a guy who was the same way. Why get so angry about food? Life's way too short.

My favorite pizza came from Conca D'Oro on E. Front Street in Plainfield, NJ. The Beatles, the Supremes, and the Rolling Stones were the stars of the juke box. Plus the Temptations, the Shangri-Las, and the Four Tops. The Beach Boys were still cool. Weejuns cost $17.50. The girls wore Ladybug and Villager.

No one knew I was gay.

They ALL knew and laughed behind your back.

Probably, R137.

There was something about it in the 1980s - maybe they put crack in it! I liked it at the time, even though I had and liked "real" pizza, too. It was just different.

I had one a couple of years ago for old time's sake and it gave me a bad stomach ache (someone upthread mentioned this as well). Then I tried it again, and the same thing - to the point where I was doing a search of their ingredients. I wonder if it changed with the new owners.

I was born in 1989 and I always thought Pizza Hut was garbage with dated interiors.

I grew up in a small hick town and thought Pizza Hut was a high class place when I was a kid. Same with Sizzler.

OP

I think this particular Pizza Slut commercial is more illustrative of the point you were tying to make as it actually shows people IN the restaurant.

[quote]It is one restaurant that I won't morn its passing.

Oh, dear.

I grew up on suburban Long Island NY in the 70s, so I had access to plenty of authentic mom and pop pizza joints. But I remember one occasion going to Pizza Hut and being sort of impressed by the dark wood and ferns, and the interesting spongy texture of the thick crust.

R11, is another reason to hate millennials.

Dominoes backs the Republican Party.

every Sunday after church my parents took us to Pizza Inn. I'll always love their pizza because it reminds me of my childhood. I don't think they are around anymore.

In the 1980s/90s Fort Collins, Colorado had a gay bar called "Peoples" that was a former Pizza Hut building, LOL. That was my first gay bar!

[quote] Nobody would go to Pizza Hut in my town. It was considered sacrilege with so many fine mom and pop pizza joints around.

So did it close very quickly given that nobody would go to it?

Growing up in the Bay Atea, my favorite pizza joints of the 8's and early 90's was Straw Hat and around Table. Pizza Hut, I ordered out of desperation at the airport. How do Pizza Hut and Dominoes stay in business? They're so awful.

Ugh one handed walking and typing, sorry.

We had a pizza hut restaurant in the neighborhood when I was a teenager, and it was pretty popular. I still like to indulge in their breadsticks, they are a terrible treat.

[quote] The Hut in the 70s and 80s was the best chain pizza joint

The Hutt are gangsters.

Do any of you recall Peter Piper Pizza? If so, what did you think of it?

R136 - I grew up in Dunellen. I remember the pizza place in Plainfield. I also remember my parents taking me to Lychees in Plainfield. The owners of Conca D'Oro have a great restaurant in Bedminster.

I was a flaming gayling.

[quote]In big northeastern cities, hell, even the burbs & small towns, there were & are genuine Italian pizzerias run by Italians. Great stuff.

Not only that but also widely available in the northeast there's the best quick serve pizza chain in the country, Papa Gino's. The best fast food chain pizza anyplace, never replicated.

Was it also a 80s/90s trend for chain and fast food restaurants to have distinct architecture? Taco Bell had a similar thing going on but most of them have been remodeled and modernized.

Old Pizza Huts are easy to pick out.

Thank you so much, r155. We loved the burgers at the Rathskellar on Washington Avenue in Dunellen. I would love to eat at the place in Bedminster. I'm in Western PA now, though, and don't get back there often.

Ah, yes---the jukebox! Whenever I went to the local Hut I always made sure I had plenty of quarters for the jukebox. It was serious business. One time I was so engrossed in picking songs that I had no idea the place had been robbed at gunpoint. I know the cop who questioned me thought I was just a scared pussy when I told him I hadn't seen a thing.

I just went on Yelp and looked at the reviews of regional Pizza Hut locations near me (PAC NW) and all of them had very bad reviews. All had about a 2 star rating. Most complaints were about extremely slow times from order to table, slow delivery times, dirty restaurants, and food poisoning.

[quote]Who is [R10] / the Pizza Inn troll? I read another thread on here a few days ago where somebody brought up Pizza Inn. Are you from Texas or Oklahoma?

I don't remember eating at Pizza Inn growing up. We had Mazzio's, Pizza Hut and Godfather's.

Now Mazzio's -- that's some disgusting pizza. I call it Nastio's.

Frozen pizza is better than Mazzio's.

According to the website R161, there are 7 Pizza Inns in OK, 2 in OKC. The one on Council Road has a buffet on the weekends.

Spent lots of time in the Rathskellar when I was a kid. My parents knew Larry Kirwin. I remember eating there in the late 60s/early 70s when I was in first or second grade. I always wanted to play Blood, Sweat and Tears on the jukebox.

I remember the name "Bud Kirwin," R164. I don't remember anything else about him. Same guy?

The rise of smaller pizza joints with homemade pizza dough and really great toppings cooked under extreme high heat made Pizza Hut and other similar places seem so boring.

Hey, R164. Here's the history of the Kerwin establishments in our part of NJ.

We had a local place called Mamma Mia (Pizzeria), it dated back to the early 60s. They delivered pizza and even had an image of a Volkswagen Bug with a gigantic pizza (with wavy lines to indicate hot pizza) balancing on the roof as their graphic. But if you went to the actual restaurant for a sit down meal it was quite a treat. Sal, the big hairy sweaty owner would tell you what he had, or it was pizza. His veal was amazing.

Then he and his brother/business partner Nicky had a falling out, and his brother Nicky opened up a pizza place about five blocks away. For the first few months, Nicky's place had the pizza chef in the front window, tossing the pizza dough.

Nick spent a lot of money advertising his pizza chef "Saverio" in the front window, tossing the pizza dough above his head. In three months Nick went through four Saverios. One was so goofy tossing the pizza, he could do little tricks and gestures in between. People came from miles around to watch him. You must understand some of these people came from farms and were eating foreign food in the 60s! He even made the local, even national news.

That particular Saverio thought he deserved more money, and when Nick didn't give it to him, "Saverio" started picking his nose in between dough-tosses. Or it would be scratching his ass. Then it became about him in tight as hell pants and him grabbing his crotch. So many young men watching.

GOOD RIDDANCE

Republican cunts

R157, that's both funny and sad kinda -- everything from funeral homes to Chinese restaurants to churches. Thanks for the link.

R165 - cool link btw. You are thinking about Bus Kerwin who ran the Homestead on Rock Ave on the border of Piscataway and Plainfield. He was Larry's brother.

I just looked up Larry's obituary. I was surprised he was only 5 years older than my dad. He always looked older. My mom told me he was badly injured in WW2 and had lots of reconstructive surgery. Maybe that's why.

For a lot of us around 50 (or more), Pizza Hut was a fun restaurant night when we were kiddies in the 70s. It was a more democratic choice because our parents would have preferred one of the ubiquitous steak houses of the period. For my middle-class family of 5, going out to these early chain restaurants was a big deal.

By the time I hit driving age, in1981, going to the mall and hitting up one of the couple local Pizza Huts was a cool teen thing to do. Or hitting a movie, then going to Pizza Hut afterwards. (In 79/80/81, our Pizza Huts would be packed with groups of 16 and 17-year old kids on Friday and Saturday night around 11.) Go to "The Mall"/movie, then still have time to hit Pizza Hut and scarf down a couple slices before sneaking in the house at 12:15.

It felt like an urban, sophisticated thing to be doing. It was dark and smokey and you were with your friends, not your parents. It was a first baby step towards autonomy (MARY!), no one cared how the pizza tasted...we were FREE!

I don't think that age group supports mall-culture anymore, so a lot of the things that went along with it have gone away as well.

In my childhood, there was a nearby place in Green Brook called the Leaning Tower of Pizza. It even showed up in the opening credits of National Lampoon's Vacation. I don't remember the pizza. I was probably eating pizza from Rome Pizza in Dunellen at that point in time.

Do any of you find the mom and pop places are fading away? I lived in one neighborhood near the university, had a place called Elvis Pizza. It was great. But I hear it closed after 40 years.

As a youngster it was Shakey's. Period. We never heard of Pizza Hut except as a copycat.

[quote]Was it also a 80s/90s trend for chain and fast food restaurants to have distinct architecture?

Baby, try the 60s/70s for that Dickey style roof trend that showed up on Denny's, Stuckey's, Pizza Hut and others across America during that time.

No one remembers Howard Johnson's anymore.

Oh Dear God, Pizza Hut...if only...

In the early 80's I would ask to go there for my birthday. They served the soda in big red cups. Had it recently and unfortunately it changed.

[quote]The Canadians I know say "soft drinks"

Real Canadians say "pop". Your friends are probably melodramatic or flaming.

R172 - location location location. When I was 17 the edgy places to go were the Mudd Club, CBGBs and the Peppermint Lounge, which I liked the best - there were a lot of cool kids there.

Pizza Hut was the only pizza joint in my small college town, so we ate a lot of it. When you're a hungry college student late at night, that shit's the bomb.

It was my senior year in HS job in 1981/82. I replaced a kid who got his arm ripped off in the dough machine.

It was a good job. We made AWESOME pizzas for ourselves with about 4 inches of topping.

I was addicted to the meatballs.

I stole quarters from the "Jerry's Kids" display to play Galaga and Donkey Kong.

Good times.

i used to love their meat lovers pizza. i love meat.

Y'all didn't smoke yet; that's why food tasted better in your kidhood. For non-smokers, food still tastes good.

And food usually always tastes good in new places, because utensils, storage space, etc. are all fresh. After that, the place is as good as its staff, working hours, and salaries.

Apart from some places having become dirty and food from some places tasting like chemistry (a sign of overcleaning, detergent overuse and not rinsing).

In addition, food may get the smell of chemistry because of bad storage practices of both food and detergent. Bad ventilation may also be at fault.

Not From Here ^^ is Not Sane

R75 Maybe, but compared to Domino's Tom Monahan he looks like Che Guevara.

It's a theme food chain. No them food chain is worth getting out of your car and walking into, much less paying money for their slop. I refuse to eat at chain restaurants unless I'm starving and there's no other choice. I have to travel mostly by car every week for work, to many towns that are quite small with no decent restaurants available other than fast food crap. As long as there's a grocery store nearby with a deli I'll go there and have some meats sliced, buy some french bread and cheese and make my own meal if the only offering available is chain fare.

[quote] It was my senior year in HS job in 1981/82. I replaced a kid who got his arm ripped off in the dough machine. I was addicted to the meatballs.

Which were at least 95% beef and only about 5% teenager arm.

I stopped eating at my local Pizza Hut several years ago. It always stunk when I went inside there and the manager committed suicide there.

I had a Pizza hut pizza the other day, and they have improved somewhat from their cardboard-tasting crust and heavily seasoned with chemicals ingredients. Somewhat, not a lot. I like Papa Johns, but alas he is another Republican asshole.

"Today's young people will never realize that Pizza Hut was once somewhere where you went to go eat the pizza in the restaurant."

Where the man goes up into the Pizza Hut.

I'm seriously craving a Pizza Hut pizza right now. I've been sick all week and haven't ate barely anything. I might order one this weekend if I feel better. The supreme sounds so good.

[quote]In my childhood, there was a nearby place in Green Brook called the Leaning Tower of Pizza

I am guessing this is a pretty common name, but one of the oldest, if not oldest pizza places in Minneapolis is Leaning Tower of Pizza. I probably go there about three of four times a year.

[quote]There's a very good authentic Neapolitan pizza restaurant in Richmond, Virginia in the same neighborhood where a gay porn bookstore and a Christian bookstore are across the street from one another.

Stuzzi?

Smell you R189. (Maurice!)

1) They sewed the kid's arm back on...it looked funky but it worked.

Mostly.

2) The dining room of our Pizza Hut smelled a bit like ass. Not sure why. Lots of jock types ate there for the all you can eat buffet and maybe they needed better anal hygiene.

3) The assistant manager was a former baby sitter of mine. She was pretty cool. She had moved back to town after living in the "big city" of Wichita for awhile. She claimed that while living in Wichita, she was roommates with Kirstie Alley and they did lots of coke together. We didn't really believe her. Of course, later it came out that Kirstie Alley WAS from Wichita and did do a lot of coke...

And didn't KA talk about that in an interview r198. She even mentioned doing coke with her roommate. Funny.

Yeah...it was weird. We really didn't believe her because she was the type to tell "big" stories. But, this was right after Kirstie had her big break in Star Trek: Wrath of Khan and she hadn't publicly told those stories yet so the only way for my friend to have known, was if she'd been there and witnessed it, or been told first hand by someone who had.

I had Pizza Hut pizza once. Delivered. They advertised a "New York pizza." It may have been the Minnesota or Oklahoma approximation of a New York pizza, but it was not a New York pizza. Never ordered it again.

My favorite pizza in the 90s was a Pizza Hut meat lovers. I hadn't had it in years and decided to order one for New Years Eve last year. It was truly horrible.

There was a young manager who was a hero at a Pizza Hut during a hurricane when he got everyone to get into the store freezer. He was killed though.

Did his employees kill him, R203?

No R204, I did.

The hero from r203's story.

I lived in one of those urban culture vulture downtown ghettos, where you have beautiful housing and brick paved streets, but few places to go and no retail businesses for miles. If I wanted a good pizza, I had to order it then drive 10 miles round trip to get it, only to return home with cold pizza. Pizza Hut delivered, so when I was more hungry than discerning, I'd order that.

One delivery guy always delivered to the apt door at my fortressy 4th floor apartment with security gates. I tipped well. Then he quit. I always put clear delivery instructions and my # on the online order form. So this one time I get a call from the delivery guy. "I can't find your apartment." "Where are you?" I ask. "I don't know." What street are you on?" "I'm not sure. Hey, I'm just going to leave it out here by the stairs." "Which stairs? What side of the building are you on?" [html removed]>

I run down to the street and walk nearly a block to see he left my pizza on the stairs on the side of the building opposite from my apartment. A car with a lighted Pizza Hut sign whizzed by, and I screamed "Fucker!!" And the pizza was already being tucked into by a homeless guy.

"Hey I bought that, can you give me a piece?" "I'm sorry I didn't know it was yours," homeless guy says. I sat on the stairs and ate a couple pieces with him.

I contacted the franchise, which refused to refund my money. The manager claimed that leaving the pizza on the stairs outside a large apt building was "delivery." I did a chargeback with the credit card. They enjoyed the story. I contacted PH corporate and they sent me some PH gift cards, which I gave away.

R82 Campisi's!!! Love that place and so glad to hear it's still thriving. It was our go-to when I was at SMU in the early 80's

Campisi's used to be my company's go-to place for pizza delivery, and everyone at work got sick of it really quick.

I have heard that dining in is a much better experience, though.

[quote] It was a good job.

Was it a positive job?

[quote] haven't ate barely anything

?

After reading this thread I ordered a Supreme pan pizza. It was pretty good. Not outstanding but tasty. They have medium pizza special for $6.99 here

I always thought Pepsi tasted like detergent until I realized it was only restaurants that this happened.

I can remember before Pizza Hut had pan pizza, they offered a choice of "thick and chewy" or "thin and crispy." Also, they had not only Supreme Pizza, but also something called Super Supreme. That's all I have to contribute.

You have done well, R214. Now I sense you wish to continue posting on this thread.

The supreme was my favorite. And it was great as hangover food.

Pizza Hut Fun Facts:

The original menu featured a large pizza for only $1.50. A small pizza only cost 95 cents.

In 2001, Pizza Hut delivered a pizza to the International Space Station. It launched on a Soyuz and astronaut Yuri Usachov ordered it while in orbit. It cost $1 million to make and deliver.

Pizza Hut’s name came from one of the founder’s wives who thought the shape of the first store looked like a hut.

In 1989, Pizza Hut delivered pizzas to the White House. First Lady Barbara Bush threw a pizza party.

Donald Trump in Pizza Hut ad

[quote] In 1989, Pizza Hut delivered pizzas to the White House. First Lady Barbara Bush threw a pizza party.

It worked out quite well for them: George gave them a tax break.

To me, their pizza was only notable for being the OILIEST, soggiest, and generally most terrible of the sit down chains as a kid. My parents liked it so we were subjected to lots of sit down "supreme" pan pizzas at that terrible chain. I remember the old red plastic glassware and yeah it sure did take forever for your pizza to come out of the kitchen. My parents swore it off once they saw too many cockroaches running around our local place. I honestly think that they used to dowse the final product with a heavy spritzing of melted crisco before serving the pizza - it was that grease saturated. Godfathers was no better. In my city, it was primarily known as a pizza themed "buffet" restaurant. They pre-dated Cici's as far as I know and their product was almost as putrid although I will give the gold medal of worst pizza to Cici's. To this day, I hate sweets and desserts and still I could choke down Godfather's "dessert" pizza far easier than the hideous pizza concoctions that they served on that buffet. All in all, good riddance to both chains. The guy who mentioned Papa Johns being good must be missing both taste buds and olfactory glands. GREAT pizza does exist and I love it (although I guess I don't eat it all that often), but give me a break! My dog who eats literally everything has snubbed his nose at that vile, leathery, crusted old socks that is food from Papa Johns. I HATE that place.

I was a delivery driver at Pizza Hut back in 95-96. The pan pizzas were greasy for good reason. The pans they were cooked in were never washed. They were cleaned with a dish rag or paper towels much like cast iron pans are. Then before the discs of dough were put in the pans, we squirted two or three big squirts of grease in the pans. I can't recall exactly, but the smaller pans got less. I don't know if it's changed now, but the hamburger topping was textured vegetable protein. YUM brands, indeed.

Just what was so fucking "personal" about those personal pan pizzas?

Could they tell if you were a top or bottom? Did they know if a husband was cheating on his wife?

I lived in Dallas for 7 years and I loved Campisi's. It was never the best pizza by any stretch of the the imagination but was quite good and they delivered pretty late as I remember. Ten times better than Pizza Hut and Domino's. The oval shape was noteworthy. It seemed that they put cured salami type meats on every pizza that they served - whether you ordered it that way or not. I always loved it around 2 am after lots of drinking and most importantly after the cocaine wore off.

[quote] Pizza Hut was once somewhere where you went to go eat the pizza in the restaurant

Not anywhere I lived, I'm proud to say.

Ahhhh R222, you're a doll.

Pizza Hut started in Wichita, Kansas and was for many years a major employer there. The original Pizza Hut building is on the WIchita State University campus.

The company was well-run and had its boom years while headquartered there. it then moved its corporate headquarters to Dallas (part of Yum Foods, I believe - KFC and Taco Bell) and things went downhill fast.

They used to test-market ideas in the WIchita stores, which made it fun to eat there, and since they were corporate stores, they were well-managed. Anyone remember the pan pizza with a second crust on top? Pretty decent.

r226, that was the Pizza Hut Fatty Fat Fat Carbstravaganza Fattie Fat?

Pizza Hut used to not have delivery, it was dine-in or carry-out only. When they were finally playing around with delivery (due to the wild success of Dominos) they test-marketed these cute little custom red trucks (kind like the old Woody vans) that had heating racks in them to keep the pizzas hot. Wish that had caught on.

r228...might have been too early. That seems like a very cool marketable thing now...so artisinal. And curated!

Sadly, the product (greasy, soggy pizza) doesn't reinforce the kitschy marketing ploy. And boy did Pizza Hut get kitschy as the years went on.

The "meat" in 1982 was "textured vegetable protein" too. At least the ground hamburger and pork were...not sure about the pepperoni. It might have been real.

R198, with that Kirstie Alley story (and the fact that the restaurant smelled like ass) you're now making me wonder if we worked at the same Pizza Hut, just at different times.

I actually know three people from Wichita who worked on "Murder Ordained" with JoBeth Williams back in the 1980s. Last year I found one of them on Facebook and that bitch was still talking about it!

The sausage in 1992 was greenish. Not the Italian sausage but the regular milder pork. When it cooked up it didn't look bad, but it looked so awful raw that to this day I still won't eat it.

Really, R221? I worked at a Hut about the same time and we always washed the pans. In fact, we still had a person doing the washing (instead of a machine). It was usually a guy named Steve who would often be too drunk to do deliveries like he was supposed to, so we just gave him dishwashing duty, and he was okay with it.

But squirting that grease into it? Yeah, we did that. The good thing about Personal Pans were that the crust got done. In larger pan pizzas, the crust was never done in the middle. Bleah.

YES r213. It must be the bin sanitizer they use for fountain drinks?

Thanks R215 - and you're right - I remembered something else. My brother briefly worked at a Pizza Hut, probably around 1984 or so. He would often bring home pizzas that were made incorrectly. This was at the time when they had Priazzos (mentioned by R59), which were great. One slice of that was completely filling!

Pizza Hut slices were served at both my middle and high school. I used to eat two slices/day in middle school with an M&M cookie for dessert. I graduated to Publix subs by high school. I have a super fast metabolism and never gained a pound. If anything I had trouble gaining weight, but I digress.

Publix subs have a cult following.

Subway stores will not be found in close proximity to a Publix grocery.

I am horrified, R234! You destroyed those pans willingly. It's no wonder the crusts on the larger pizzas were substandard. How can you live with yourself??? I can't. I just can't.

At my age, I can't eat pizza more than once or twice or month without ballooning, so I don't have it nearly as much as I would like. Surprisingly, the Russian guys who run the place in the ground floor of my building on West 16th make a great pie and have good slices at a very decent price. But when I want really good pizza, I still trek down to John's on Bleecker. Still overall the best. A few places have occasionally made slightly better but they come and go. John's has been there for decades and their thin crust never disappoints. I understand they now have a second location in an old church near Times Square but I avoid that area now outside of specific theaters when I have tickets. Thanks Guiliani. Thanks Bloomberg.

Greek restaurants often have surprisingly good pizza. I remember one in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that also used to have the most delicious pastry, including a bismarck which is yellow cake in a hard chocolate shell with thick cream on top. I have never had anything quite like it anywhere else.

[quote]Last year I found one of them on Facebook and that bitch was still talking about it!

As are you, r232, as are you. Ironic, no?

[quote]I lived in one of those urban culture vulture downtown ghettos, where you have beautiful housing and brick paved streets, but few places to go and no retail businesses for miles.

Da fuq do you live???? Seriously, city and neighborhood. I'd love to know this mythical place in some "downtown ghetto" with "beautiful housing" but "no retail businesses for miles."

Do you live inside of a movie set?

Oh and gotta love the casual use of "one of those" when you go on to describe a living situation that basic knowledge of economics proves mythical.

Pizza Hut nostalgia has been trending on Twitter today!

I have fond childhood memories of those red plastic tumblers filled with Pepsi ™

Pizza Hut was always great in London. I've only tried it here once since moving to the States. It's definitely not the same.

I had been warned, but I insisted on dragging a few friends there one night. They were good sports about it, though one young lady told me it was considered "ghetto". Everyone ate at Pizza Hut back home.

^ I forot to sign off as....

Pizza Hut was a big deal on my Temple U campus in the late 80s. A lot of students went there on date night for a *dine in* meal complete with plaid tablecloths, plaid curtains, waiters and unlimited soft drinks. Now, it is just a sad storefront pickup spot with bad pizza.

I remember a very fancy brand new Pizza Hut went in with tables one could order at electronically. It was outside my neighbourhood, might have been South Kensington. It felt as if you were seated at an arcade game. (think Pac Man, & Ms. Pac Man table games) Four people I believe were the max.. an image of different styles would scroll by on a CRT... then you selected toppings from a checklist. There were still "regular" tables for larger groups, yet our Pizza Huts were never as large as American Huts.

I was getting frustrated by it, yet utterly fascinated at the same time... This may have been 1988 or 1989. I recall the table feeling much lower and a bit odd as well; chairs were also low, and would completely disappear and shore up under the table.

This was really state of the art tech, and possibly even a marketing test. Does anyone recall these? Did any of you have them in the US or Canada?

Who knew the Book It! programme was still around. This was such a great PR move for Pizza Hut, as it got families in the door and created good memories for the kids to associate with the brand. I'll admit, though, that by high school, I'd realized Pizza Hut was kind of a joke. This was the late 90s, and I went there for the lunch buffet during a volunteer outing. The pizza and pasta on the buffet were overcooked from the warmer lamps, and the salad was inedible. That's the last time I ate inside a Pizza Hut. I later dated a guy who it turns out worked there in high school, and he told stories about all the custom pizzas the employees made for each other.

R43 lives under a rock.

Pizza Hut used to be great. But remember, back when it was great, Dominos was CRAP. Cardboard crusts, almost no cheese, and a bland almost-not-there sauce. It was TERRIBLE. Pizza Hut's decline really sped up when Dominos changed their recipe dramatically a couple of decades ago... and it went from crap to acceptable. Now it's better than Pizza Hut, as Pizza Hut has so declined in quality.

But yes, I remember when it was HUGE news in the mid-to-late 80s when Pizza Hut started a delivery service. It used to be dine-in only, with their trade-mark red "hat-shaped" roofs that were so recognizable, spread all across the land. And they used to have a great TACO PIZZA but that disappeared sometime in the late 70s I think.

Both Pizza Hut and Dominos have totally fucked up their recipes and now their pizzas taste like shit.

I think once Pizza Hut had pan pizzas, the only kind I ever ordered was "A Supreme Pan Pizza, Minus Mushroom" (because mushrooms are fucking gross and don't belong on pizza). It was easy to order, filling, and didn't have anything nasty on it (like mushrooms or olives).

I don't even remember what their other crusts were like... in my mind "pan pizza" = Pizza Hut.

I've never tried Domino's "Pan" pizza.

TL;DR: The best ,take-out pizza I ever ate was ahold in the wall place near UC Berkeley. I often wonder if it's still there, but won't know cause I forgot the name of the place.

In L.A. We always ordered from a chain called Numero Uno. It's gone out of business in early 2000s

I wonder how CiCi's survives in a world with Covid-19...

[quote] Soda or Soda Pop. I think pop is more of a Midwest term for soda

All of Canada says pop. Soda pop sounds like something an old geezer would say to us.

R13 that took me back! Thanks.

Good regional restaurant chains undergo certain changes when they go national, or international. Local innovations are suppressed in favor of a more unified, streamlined menu; preparation methods are streamlined, and ingredients are standardized to the most cost-effective denominator. The effects on individual restaurants are always deleterious.

This happened to both Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen. They're ruined, mere shadows of what they used to be.

i remember back in the 80's pizza hut was THEE place to go after the fall high school football games.. anybody that was anybody went there after the game and the pizza was FANTASTIC!

not sure what they did over the years, change the resume or the ingredients, but it's NOTHING like it used to be! today, the crust and the entire pizza is "doughey"... it's rarely hot even when you are there to pick it up, and the ingredients have a bland taste to them...and it taste like the pizza isn't cooked all the way?...

back in the day, the deep dish was crusty crust and delicious, the cheese melted and the entire pizza melting hot, and the ingredients you could taste each one and they tasted great!

Soda just tasted better in those big red cups

The crusts are the worst. And in the Philippines, it’s ghastly.

R254 You would find the popular combinations at British Pizza Huts to be revolting; I'm sure. Most of my mates would eat sweet corn and canadian bacon. Pineapple and black olive was a favourite as well.

I can deal with most anything on a pizza... except anchovies, mushrooms, and olives.

I'm fine with chicken, pineapple, and any number of other toppings. I'd probably be fine with a sweet corn and Canadian bacon pizza, though I doubt I'd ever order one on purpose. Black olives are bad enough, but pineapple & black olive sounds like a particularly nasty combination.

Pineapples don’t belong on pizza.

Pizza Hut birthday parties were awesome back in the early 80's. I still remember playing the table top Pac Man game they had as well.

R265, Hawaiian Pizza is fantastic. You don't know what you're talking about.

Pineapples are fine on pizza. What doesn't belong on pizza are watery fresh tomatoes when there's already tomato sauce.

It's always sucked--in or out. It's only "pizza" if you don't have other options or if you grew-up in some culturally-deprived place like Wichita (where they started).

I'm still here!

Pizza hut was good when you were craving greazy food, but now that the franchise owners come from a "thrift culture" and the fact that their cheese is made out of soy etc it tastes bland and boring.

I ordered a pizza recently and it arrived with the dough raised like it was a loaf of bread with toppings sprinkled on top because the place was so chintzy with the toppings.

R271..i so so hear you.. "doughey" crust, toppings that are barely there and always seem like it's never full baked.. heck, if you took a couple of fingers you could LITERALLY slip the toppings off like a "spread"... stopped ordering from there to go to specialty pizza places that are NOT chains and worthy of the extra price...

What is the mother tongue of the OP? Because in the text the OP overuses the definite article "the".

He eats the pizza in the restaurant!

I used to think Pizza HUt was the best of the pizza chains, but I had some a few years back and it was awful.

either my tastes had improved or the quality got worse to save money

This is the worst pizza I’ve ever had. Microwave pizza tastes better than this.

Is this a national chain or just in the south/Alabama?

One learns so much about Flyoverstani culture from Datalounge

Sorry OP, for those of us in Chicago and New York City, that's not considered pizza.

[quote] either my tastes had improved or the quality got worse to save money

Both, probably.

They got rid of Papa John like they should have. He is now a minor owner and has no control of the company. Now everyone should go and support them for doing the right thing.

Pizza Hut always gave me the poops.

When I was a kid you got to pick where you wanted to eat for your birthday and I always picked Pizza Hut. Back in the late 70's, early 80's.

I grew up in a town that had a big Italian-American population. We had some great bakeries, restaurants, and pizza places. In the mid- to late-1970s, a Pizza Hut came to town. It was new, so all the kids and teenagers in town wanted to try this new pizza place. The marketing was smart. Pizza Hut marketed heavily to have birthday parties at the restaurant. Every kid in town begged their parents for a Pizza Hut birthday party, and I can't count how many of those I went to over the years.

After the newness wore off (it took a few years--so we were in the 1980s by then), we ordered a pizza from one of the local places. It was so, so much better than the doughy mess and bland flavor of Pizza Hut. I never went to that Pizza Hut in town again. Surprisingly, it's still there in the town where I used to live. I was visiting last year and there was no one there when I drove by at peak dinner time on a weekend. I don't know how it stays open.

This is such a coincidence !I JUST found out right before I came on DL that my old asst manager from Pizza Hut back in the early 80s died at age 56 ! He was a hell of a cool guy , and it saddened me to hear then I read this thread and the memories flooded in.

I don’t care for pineapples on my pizza. Sorry, not sorry.

R85 you are a nasty cunt. Probably from fucking NYC or Los Angeles with your snotty attitude. Please die soon.

SMELL Miss R285. Broadcasting live from her trailer park

R275... Cici's is a chain, as they have them here in the midwest (illinois and missouri) although i've never been and never will...

[quote]although i've never been and never will...

I've been, R287, although I stopped going once I observed people taking pizza off their plates and putting it back on the buffet table in order to make room on the plate for something else they wanted.

It would be impossible to pandemic-proof that restaurant format; Cici's would have to be completely re-structured so that the public doesn't touch the buffet.

I once witnessed something similar at a Golden Corral, at its dessert bar: what looked like a six-year-old with his hand down the back of his pants, who pulled his hand out and started using it to touch the various assorted cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, etc. He just couldn't come to a decision which one he wanted. °–°

Quite right R285... Many snobs indeed. As I had mentioned earlier EVERYONE ate at Pizza Hut in London. People are right to remind others this was a destination as a teen friendly space, as well as for birthdays. Many fail to see that the "Circus" portion of Bread & Circus often has more allure than the food on offer, though I thoroughly enjoyed the Huts back then.

The personal pan pizza wasn't really a thing anywhere else in Britain... at the time, it was the perfect amount, and no need for everyone to agree to toppings on a shared pizza. For young people, it was ideal; especially when one was paying himself. Pizza Hut was quite reasonable, and seemed special back then.

I think we enjoyed it more because it was American as well. This was a time before we came to be overwhelmed by American brands, and came to regret their ubiquitousness. I don't think my hometown qualifies as Flyoverstani or culturally deprived. Times change, as do the chain's parent company, quality, and the public's taste. I think for many, Pizza Hut was a sort of novelty for a spell.

Good memories!

15-20 years ago it was palatable. I had it about a month ago, and it was seriously worse than frozen pizza. Even the crust didn't have that crispy, chewy texture it once had. There was little sauce and toppings.

I loved the dark pub style decor back in it's heyday.

I love Pizza Hut!!

I still like their thin crust.

Cici's is now cafeteria style, they serve the pizza and salad to you. Actually, I think all buffets should be like this now for good, it is only good marketing since more people would to be likely go. Golden Corral is now going to this now, I can go back for their pot roast which is pretty good. I can't stand looking at that chocolate waterfall thing either, it is so disgusting and all the kids running around.

Since the quarantine I've ordered Pizza Hut 3 times and it has been pretty good, especially the stuffed crust, and I don't give a fuck about what italians think of it

R295 Glad to hear it's still good in some locations. I've never ordered a stuffed crust, but have mad respect for your confidence and sass!

No it wasn’t. It was never real pizza

Pizza Hut was always trashy. Most of you were apparently raised in low class white trash towns in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio.

There was a Pizza Hut a few towns away (they are forbidden in my town) and they tore the building down & built a walk in medical clinic. Across the street is a franchise called NY Blood & Cancer Center. There are almost as many NY Blood & Cancer center franchises as there are McDonald’s.

The crust is nasty.

I’ve never been inside of a Pizza Hut. The only time I ever ate one was when I went to the medical school cafeteria in my hospital and they were sold out of all other food, so I bought a personal pizza. I was starving. I ate about 3 bites & that was it. The cheese tasted like hot rubber — not good when you work in a place where there are rubber gloves — & couldn’t eat any more of it.

“Somewhere where”......

I had the stuffed crust the other night, they were running a special for $11.99. I thought it was pretty good but seems like they use a different pizza sauce on it, I like their breadsticks too. But for cheap breadsticks you can't beat a bag of Crazy Bread from Little Caesars.

R7 Totally, Pizza Hut was an above average dine in restaurant experience when it came to pizza. They dominated that segment in the 80’s.

I've come to learn after enjoying this thread that I'm hardly the only unrepentant and unabashed pizza slut.

Didn’t Pizza Hut serve Italian pasta entrees, too? I remember liking the spaghetti and meatballs. I think they added beet sugar to their sauce because it tasted like tomato sugar.

They fell because they fucked up their recipes. I don’t understand why it’s so hard for them to understand that. Why is it so hard for them to go back to the old recipe?

I grew up in the Minneapolis area and remember we had a stand-alone Pizza Hut in my neighborhood that was popular. This would be the early to mid 90's.

I'm still a fan of Pizza Hut breadsticks and the marinara sauce -- it's my horrible guilty pleasure, though I don't get them anymore only because I'm trying to eat healthier. Not long ago (and still) Target stores have the "Pizza Hut cafe" where you can get personal pizza, etc to go.

When I was in my 20's, I had a habit of ordering Pizza Hut when I was hungover and watching Lifetime TV all day. Great times.

R307 As long as they still make money, why would they? And the pizza market is now such that you can get really good pizza... that was not the case in most of the US in the 80s. So if you can afford really good pizza, you're not getting chain pizza. It just makes more sense for Pizza Hut to cater to the market for affordable pizza.

Pizza Hut ruled the industry when Peggy Olsen was writing their commercials.

Making it great!

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ordering back in the day the original recipe of crust, sauce and toppings (late 80's/early 90's) a supreme personal size pan pizza and a big ole ice tea for lunch for only 6 dollars i was in heaven.....

They changed the regular crust, it's too sweet. We get it free at work sometimes (theirs a Pizza Hut across the street) and I prefer the thin or pan pizza because the regular crust is different now.

R313 Thank you! Doesn’t it seem like the personal pan pizzas tasted better than the others they offered? It was like they had their own recipe specifically for personal pan pizzas.

I am so craving Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust. But I know it would give me explosive diarrhea and it's not worth the calories. Unless I'm also gonna buy Depends, I'll have to just pretend my salad is a Stuffed Crust pizza.

[quote] Italians find Pizza Hut insulting.

Even that famous paisan Ed McMahonicotti?

[quote] Italians find Pizza Hut insulting.

This is a gross generalization IMO.

What is classic pizza crust supposed to taste like? I just found out that my neighborhood pizzeria uses premade crust AND tomato sauce...so what am I paying for?

Choose the garlic crust option if you order from Pizza Hut. It makes all the difference.

If you grew up in a college town with a lot of good ethnic restaurants or have actually been to Italy, then you would know the difference.

r316 are you really that delicate? I think you will survive eating it.

Survive, maybe. Thrive, probably not. I used to love fast food when I was a kid, but now every time I eat it it makes me feel sluggish, tired, and sad.

I get thin or pan crust, anything other than the regular crust, since they changed that it's too sweet

r323 I can relate to that. Back in the old days my office mates and I would go to the Pizza Hut buffet or the Wendy's superbar (back when it was a buffet) and have a huge lunch. If I did that now I would fall asleep at my desk or be running to the bathroom.

When my boyfriend, now husband, were first dating nearly two decades ago we got p'zones a lot because our budget and options were very limited. Out of nostalgia we got the new ones and they are...not what they were.

Pizza Hut was my first job when I was 15. The whole store was run by teenagers circa 1995. My general manager was 18. Who knows who owned it. Never saw them. It was fun but SO unprofessional. Pepperoni dropped on the floor? No biggie. The best part was that there was a company rule that if a mistake was made on a pizza, the staff could take it home at the end of the night. So we'd just screw up on purpose and make whatever pies we wanted. The only time I was ever over weight was when I worked there. I'd take home like ten pizzas, get stoned and then my best friend and I would gorge ourselves.

Good times.