A Makeover for Pizza Hut’s Original Pan Pizza
For the first time in four decades, the pizza chain is completely revamping its signature dish.
May 31, 2019
NEW YORK–After 40 years, Pizza Hut is tinkering with its Original Pan Pizza from the crust up, CNN Business reports. The changes include a new sauce and cheese blend and baking the pie in a “newly engineered” pan designed to produce a crisper crust.
Pizza sales have been heating up, as Domino’s and Papa John’s continue to put pressure on Pizza Hut. While many consumers buy pizza based more on the deal of the moment, flavor still matters. A decade ago, Domino’s changed its nearly 50-year-old recipe, added more value menu items and new technology for tracking orders. Those changes helped catapult Domino’s ahead of Pizza Hut in sales for the first time last year.
Pizza Hut will expand its beer delivery to 1,000 locations this summer, and has partnered with FedEx on delivery options. A new recipe for its signature dish is part of the strategy to regain momentum.
“We know that taste is king for our customers, so we’re excited to roll out this new, state-of-the-art pan technology, combined with our perfected blend of cheese and sauce ratio,” said Penny Shaheen, Pizza Hut’s senior director of culinary innovation and strategy.
The company had been working on the new recipe for three years, focusing “on combining art, science and culinary expertise” to make a better pizza pan for the deep-dish pie. The new Original Pan Pizza will be available next week.
