"We are, truly, a nation of defunct Pizza Huts"

[Budi]

https://news.avclub.com/we-are-truly-a-nation-of-defunct-pizza-huts-1844905568/amp

We are, truly, a nation of defunct Pizza Huts

SNIP

You have entered the ghost of a Pizza Hut. Savor the moment as you would a personal pan pizza.

Like a stuffed crust, the closure of hundreds of Pizza Huts after the Covid-19-related bankruptcy filing of its largest franchisee is a lot to take in.
But unlike most of the heavy-handed metaphors 2020 doles out, there’s a way to look at this one as both the death of the American dream and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit capitalism.

"“There are so many old Pizza Huts that are turned into something else that there are very few towns in America that don’t seem to have an old Pizza Hut that is now a laundromat or a title loan place or something like that,” Mike Neilson, owner of the blog Used To Be A Pizza Hut, told The Daily Beast. His blog, as well as a popular subreddit, share pictures of repurposed Pizza Huts.

Sometimes tenants in old Pizza Huts try to disguise the building’s past by painting the roof a color other than red, or surgically removing the pyramid-like structure at the top of the place. They’re not fooling anyone, Neilson argued."

The bravest hearts choose not to run from ghosts, instead embracing what once was and making it a part of what will be.

“There’s one in New Jersey that just calls itself ‘Liquor Hut,’” Neilson said. “They were just like, ‘Nope, we’re just going to stick with the Hut. This shape is Hut, everyone knows this is a Hut, we’re just going to sell liquor, and now it’s Liquor Hut.’”

"So, it’s bad, but not Blockbuster bad, if you know what we mean."
More....

[empedocles]

1. Domino pizza was worst

[mr_lebowski]

4. I'd rather have Domino's than Pizza Hut ...

They're both crap, but the Hut is worse pizza IMHO. Speaking only of the Pizza, not the ownership.

Also Domino's always just rents in strip malls, they never build anything, unlike a lot of Pizza Hut's.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. A sign perhaps of too much development developed to just Pizza and/or fast foods? IMHO, I ...

think Americans are getting sick and tired of fast food that a lot of American cities only offer. I know that I am, and thus, me and my SO only shop at family run or one of a kind places.

[Budi]

5. It was truly a 'sign of the times' we lived in. Society will trend again...

But that new trend will someday be replaced with an even newer trend. It's like the cirlce of life in human societies

I believe we demanded a down-shift & I'm with you on the local grocer.


I did rather enjoy this honest & well written article, however.
💙

[lapfog_1]

3. greasy inedible pizza

there are just too many other options

[Blue_playwright]

6. So sad. My favorite pizza ever...

Is a super supreme pan crust with extra cheese. I hired on at 16 with a corporate store in Wichita that was the “corporate baby” store as we were just a couple of miles from the HQ. Stayed through my senior year of college - wouldn’t have quit but was editor of the paper at WSU and that was time-consuming.

It was such a good company in the 80s and 90s. The Pres. Steve Reinaman (sp?) lived close by and I remember him throwing on an apron and pitching in on the line if he came in for dinner and we were getting hammered. One of the founders dropped by once and explained the origins of “fairy dust,” the seasonings on top.

I had life insurance through them at 16, health insurance for 20 bucks or so a check in College, and I still own a lot of PepsiCo stock which I bought through payroll deduction.

We actually had it this weekend. The crust was still 🔥🍕🔥 But the cheese and toppings were sparse. It’s still my favorite of the big companies- Papa Johns tastes moldy, it’s the sauce; Domino’s has good mushrooms but I swear every time I pick an order up folks have open sores and look wasted; and the overuse of garlic by Little Caesers makes me wonder if they are hiding spoiled meat.

[Delarage]

7. My experiences vary from Hut to Hut

I used to like it when I was a kid. I worked there for a while and was shocked by the full squirt of oil we put in the pans for the pan pizzas (from a BIG pump). Later on, I preferred their other crusts. However....most of the Pizza Huts near me are filthy and lifeless; long waits even though few customers, disinterested staff, etc. Even the parking lots and grass were messes. There was one in Florida near where my sister lives that was good and clean, so I guess it all depends on management/location.

Now that I think about it, I can't believe the dump closest to me is still open. Seems like they stopped caring 10 years ago. There is another one in Newark that is newer and I'm sure is nicer, but that's a long haul for pizza. There are local joints near me that I prefer.