Overview
- Major franchisee Tim Sparks is rolling out 'Pizza Hut Classic' locations that restore the chain’s 1990s-style dine-in experience across several markets this year.
- The retro stores bring back vinyl booths, red checkered tablecloths, stained-glass lamps, red plastic cups, arcade or jukebox games, and the old-school salad bar.
- BOOK IT!, the kids’ reading-for-pizza program, is back with a 'Summer of Stories' promotion, which the program announced on Instagram.
- Reports differ on scale, with Inc./Vice citing 38 conversions by Sparks and a New York Times account, relayed by the Daily Caller, noting roughly 144 Classic remodels as of March, while Pizza Hut has not announced a nationwide program.
- The push follows Pizza Hut’s February plan to close 250 underperforming restaurants and a reported multi-quarter sales slide, and Sparks says some guests now drive hours for the nostalgic sit-down visit that many franchisees can choose to emulate.