Original Pizza Hut

[mrodgers]

Yeah, they used to be the best of the "fast food" pizza chains, but they're just not the same anymore. I'd go to Domino's first, and they used to be horrible, but they improved their recipes. I'd still ratehr go to a local joint, but in a pinch sometimes those places will do.

Last time I had Pizza Hut was on a bicycle trip. It was lunch time, there was a Pizza Hut in front of us and that's where we went. Ate and back on the bikes. I made it a mile and luckily we reached the entrance to a park that had some facilities. And now every time my buddy and his wife goes up and rides the Erie Canal Towpath, they take a picture of the "facilities" building and sends it to me...

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I think people are overly romanticizing the original Pizza Hut. It was terrible. It's actually much better now than it was originally. Still not good but the original was awful. They never really penetrated the town I grew up in. They only had one location. And even back then when every pizza hut was a hut, ours wasn't. They bought out several straw hat locations, ours included. Straw Hat wasn't a good pizza either. But at least Straw Hat used local fresh ingredients. I'll give them that. They also had a nice salad bar before salad bars became cool. I'll give em that too.

 

[nw6675]

I think the hut one near me still uses the original red cups

 

[White Cat]

Was the place decades ago.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I think the hut one near me still uses the original red cups

HAHAH OMG!!! I totally forgot about them. My mom actually went out and bought a set of red tumblers. So cringe.

 

[BrianL]

Last time I had Pizza Hut was on a bicycle trip. It was lunch time, there was a Pizza Hut in front of us and that's where we went. Ate and back on the bikes. I made it a mile and luckily we reached the entrance to a park that had some facilities. And now every time my buddy and his wife goes up and rides the Erie Canal Towpath, they take a picture of the "facilities" building and sends it to me...

Yeah, it'll grease up your insides for sure!

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

We used to go to the one that was a block away from the skate rink on Friday nights. We'd go skating, then go eat, and then go back for the late skate. Such a simple time for us.

 

[Lehuaann]

The Huts are around, but the pizza ain’t the same.

 

[Moliphino]

I don't think I've been to Pizza Hut since I was in college (there was one in my student center that sold individual pizzas). There aren't any convenient to where I live anymore.

 

[Squirlz]

There's one just a stone's throw from my house. Never liked it, everything had that same greasy taste no matter what toppings. It closed and sat empty for about 15 years. Then just recently it was bought and redone but the building is the same.

 

[moniqueand2]

There is even a blog/web site devoted to photographs of repurposed iconic pizza hut buildings.
http://usedtobeapizzahut.blogspot.com/

 

[lowlight]

I think people are overly romanticizing the original Pizza Hut. It was terrible. It's actually much better now than it was originally. Still not good but the original was awful. They never really penetrated the town I grew up in. They only had one location. And even back then when every pizza hut was a hut, ours wasn't. They bought out several straw hat locations, ours included. Straw Hat wasn't a good pizza either. But at least Straw Hat used local fresh ingredients. I'll give them that. They also had a nice salad bar before salad bars became cool. I'll give em that too.

What do you mean fresh ingredients? My brother worked at Pizza Hut through high school in the 80s. Their dough was made daily on premises. They were undeniably better “back in the day”, much like every restaurant was before they were bought up by some corporation like Yum or PepsiCo. Pizza Hut was never traditional pizza, but it was good when you wanted greasy pan pizza and kids loved it. It’s like Panera Bread. Panera was legitimately excellent food before they started hot bathing everything out of a plastic bag. Most companies don’t grow to that level without being good to begin with. It’s when they are bought out and cost cutting happens and all food is made off premises in the name of safety and consistency. Chili’s, Dunkin’, Panera, Pizza Hut, the list goes on and on of places that were good when they cooked real food in house.

 

[focusondisney]

We went to Pizza Hut most Friday nights when my DH & I were dating. He’d pick me up after he got out of work, we’d get there about 9:30 or so. After we had kids we’d go when they got free kids pizzas from their reading program . Then DH & I would do the lunch buffet once a year when we were out doing our Christmas shopping. They all closed in our area in 2019, except for in a Target lobby. We definitely miss it.

 

[bjscheel]

We like it and miss the one in our town. It was a Mexican restaurant next and then they moved and it sits empty. Sometimes we drive to another town for a Pizza Hut and farm store date.

 

[Mysterian]

There is even a blog/web site devoted to photographs of repurposed iconic pizza hut buildings.
http://usedtobeapizzahut.blogspot.com/

I've seen gas stations converted to urgent care facilities and nail salon shops, never a Pizza Hut. There's even a Pizza Hut turned funeral home on that blog called "Psalms". They'd have more business were it "Psalms and P'zones".

Imagine having your loved ones ashes mixed into the pizza dough. Everyone at the funeral gets to enjoy a piece of delicious meat lovers Aunt Nelly, with cousin Hubert cheesy sticks.

 

[rotlex]

Used to love the restaurant style pizza huts of the 80's. It was our after high school football hangout, weekend family meals etc. Loved the atmosphere and the food. Problem is they changed their business model, and how they made pizza to stay with the times. They used to make the pizza and the dough right in the restaurants with fresh ingredients. I believe it is all pre made or frozen junk now so the pizza is nothing like it was back in the day.

It's a shame too as I have many great memories of the place.

 

[Squirlz]

I've seen gas stations converted to urgent care facilities and nail salon shops, never a Pizza Hut. There's even a Pizza Hut turned funeral home on that blog called "Psalms". They'd have more business were it "Psalms and P'zones".

Imagine having your loved ones ashes mixed into the pizza dough. Everyone at the funeral gets to enjoy a piece of delicious meat lovers Aunt Nelly, with cousin Hubert cheesy sticks.

That reminds me, there's an Urgent Care Pizza Hut in Key West. I had to go there when I contracted C-Dif in 2017.

 

[mco65]

We still have one of those vintage Pizza Huts back home (Monteagle, TN) and in fact we ate dinner there on Wed night before Thanksgiving 2022!

I don't typically eat at Pizza Hut anymore unless it is the one back home... but i loved eating there pan pizza back in the 80s.

 

[Skywalker]

The original Pizza Hut in our town closed down years ago, and a new location just opened up last summer but it's just a little unit in a plaza. Take out only. But it does share a parking lot with the original building, which is now an Orthodontists office.

How things change!

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

We still have one red roof Pizza Hut nearby, but I think that is the only one in our area. They just started the lunch buffet again.

I went to Pizza Hut a lot in my teens and early 20s. It was the place to go after a Friday night football game.