Copyright syracuse.com
Pizza Hut could soon be up for sale. On Tuesday, its parent company, Yum Brands (which also owns KFC and Taco Bell), announced it’s starting a formal review of options for the struggling pizza chain. In other words, Yum Brands is exploring whether Pizza Hut would perform better under new ownership. “The Pizza Hut team has been working hard to address business and category challenges; however, Pizza Hut’s performance indicates the need to take additional action to help the brand realize its full value, which may be better executed outside of Yum Brands,” said Yum CEO Chris Turner in a statement. It continued: “To truly take advantage of the brand we’ve built and the opportunities ahead, we’ve made the decision to initiate a thorough review of strategic options.” Currently, Pizza Hut has nearly 20,000 stores in more than 100 countries. While international sales were up 2% in the first nine months of 2025, U.S. sales fell 7% in the same period The chain, which once offered pizza lovers an authentic dine-in experience, has suffered over the years as consumers gravitated towards fast pickup and delivery. In 2020, one of Pizza Hut’s largest franchisees filed for bankruptcy protection and closed 300 stores. Pizza Hut now controls 15.5% of U.S. pizza chain sales, down from 19.4% in 2019, according to Technomic, a food service consulting company. Yum Brands has not set a deadline for when it will finish its review and make a final decision. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by two brothers who borrowed $600 from their mother to open the store. They chose the name because their sign only had room for eight letters. The chain debuted its iconic red roof in 1969. Two years later, it was the world’s top pizza chain by sales. PepsiCo acquired Pizza Hut in 1977 but spun off its restaurant division — which became Yum Brands — in 1997. Domino’s, with its focus on delivery and carryout pizza, has since become the world’s largest pizza chain, with 21,750 stores.
