Pizza Hut has debuted a major menu overhaul – just days after the chain abruptly shuttered 15 restaurants.
On Friday, over a dozen locations across Indiana were suddenly shut down – and EYM Group, which operates 144 Pizza Huts across five states, said the company not modernizing its menus was partly to blame.
Now, Pizza Hut has announced that it’s doing just that. The chain revealed this morning that it’s unveiling a brand new style of pizza and eight new toppings, describing the change as ‘its biggest toppings transformation in over a decade.’
The brand will now be offering Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza, making it the ‘first global pizza chain to offer this style of pizza.’
‘Pizza Hut’s take on the tavern-style pizza offers a trendsetting, modern experience that delivers a deliciously crispy bite with its thin-crust and innovative, contemporary flavors available in four recipes: Pesto Margherita, The Ultimate, Spicy Chicken Sausage, and Double Pepperoni,’ reads a press release.
Pizza Hut has debuted a major menu overhaul – just days after the chain abruptly shuttered 15 restaurants (stock image)
The company revealed this morning that it’s unveiling a brand new style of pizza and eight new toppings, describing the change as ‘its biggest toppings transformation in over a decade’
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The pizza has ‘crispy thin crust’ and is cut into squares, making it ‘sharable’ and ‘snackable,’ it adds.
‘What’s more, the cracker-thin crust is then loaded from edge to edge with delicious toppings, so a burst of abundant flavor is enjoyed in every single bite of the pizza,’ the company said.
The new style starts at $12 for a large pie and will be available nationwide starting today.
In addition, Pizza Hut has added eight new ‘bold and fresh’ toppings to its menu, including Spicy Marinara Sauce, Pesto Sauce Swirl, Chicken Sausage, Fresh Diced Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Fire Roasted Peppers and Crispy Cupped Pepperoni.
Rachel Antalek, Chief Food Innovation Officer at Pizza Hut said of the change: ‘These menu additions represent a bold step forward as part of our culinary mission to bring our guests modern innovation that embraces what we know our customers are loving and looking for in a pizza.
‘Tavern is not just a pizza; it is a culinary trend that reflects the excitement of today’s pizza scene.
The brand will now be offering Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza, and will come in four flavors: Pesto Margherita, The Ultimate, Spicy Chicken Sausage, and Double Pepperoni
The pizza has ‘crispy thin crust’ and is cut into squares, making it ‘sharable’ and ‘snackable,’ per a press release
‘We perfected these recipes to truly pay homage to Chicago and the hundred-year-old style in a modern way while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a pizza with fresh new toppings and flavors.’
The news comes after 15 Pizza Huts in Indiana were closed on Friday, leaving staff and customers stunned.
Employees posted on social media afterwards that they were given no warning ahead of the shut downs.
A Pizza Hut spokesperson said at the time: ‘The company is working to transition these locations and expects many of them will reopen soon.’
DailyMail.com also revealed that a further 129 restaurants across Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, and Wisconsin are on the brink of shutting due to an ongoing financial dispute between the chain and EYM Group.
EYM Group is being sued by the chain in relation to millions of dollars of unpaid bills.
On Friday, over a dozen Pizza Hut locations across Indiana were shut down – and EYM Group, which operates them, said the company not modernizing its menus was to blame (stock image)
Pizza Hut has set EYM staggered deadlines for payment in each state, and the chain will close down the restaurants in each if the debts are not paid.
But EYM blamed Pizza Hut for its financial problems, claiming in its own lawsuit that its sales have been badly hit by the pizza chain not updating its menus or app to keep up with rivals like Domino’s and Little Caesar’s.
In the suit, EYM outlined a raft of problems at Pizza Hut, including a cut to its research and development budget that meant it ‘failed to innovate.’
It also pointed to outdated technology that caused online ordering to crash during the Super Bowl and said its attempt to update its menu ‘flopped.’
Overall, Pizza Hut’s US restaurants have seen sales slip six per cent this year compared to last.