Pizza Hut, where sales have lagged with arrival of delivery culture, will be sold for $2.7 billion

AP ^ | 06 16 2026 | MICHELLE CHAPMAN and DEE-ANN DURBIN

[yesthatjallen]

Pizza Hut, the 68-year-old chain that has long struggled with growing competition and outdated restaurants, will be sold for $2.7 billion by parent company Yum Brands.

Yum said Tuesday that the private equity firm LongRange Capital will buy Pizza Hut, excluding the mainland China business, for about $1.5 billion.

The mainland China Pizza Hut will be purchased by Yum China Holdings Inc. for approximately $1.2 billion, the company said. China is Pizza Hut’s second-largest market outside the U.S., accounting for 19% of sales.

Yum Brands, which also owns KFC and Taco Bell, began to explore its options for Pizza Hut in November. Last year, Yum Brands’ global sales rose 5% but Pizza Hut’s sales fell 2%.

SNIP

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TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: food; pizza; pizzahut; sold

[jagusafr]

The one 3 blocks from us never really opened back up for sit-down service after Covid. The guy at the counter just says, “Y’all can sit down if you want, but there’s no table service...”

Too bad.

[Paladin2]

It might make sense in small markets.

I draw the line at places that don’t have a Harbor Freight.....

[I just looked it up: We have 3 TBs, 3 PHs and 1 KFC; so it’s apparently a Big Place...]

[9422WMR]

“They ruined Whataburger“
Stopped in at the drive through a couple of months ago. First time in about two years. Ordered two BOBs,( breakfast on a bun). The taste was yuck.
How did they ruin that? The fried potatoe offering was over fried.
During my traveling days, Whataburger was always consistently adequate.
Now just another junk food offering.

[x]

“The mainland China Pizza Hut will be purchased by Yum China Holdings Inc.”

Yum yum!

It’s a pity that Gilbert and Sullivan aren’t around anymore.

[Dr. Sivana]

No self respecting or rational Italian-American would ever eat the offerings of these corporate, faux pizza joints.

In some parts of the country, there may be no better "pizza" choice available. Actually, the thick and chewy pizza I made from scratch in the early '80s was not horrible. The Original/Thin and Crispy was always just awful, crunchy cardboard.

Isn't it funny that the mjor pizza chains originated in parts of the country not known for pizza?

Pizza Hut (Wichita, KS)
Domino's (Michigan)
Papa John's (Kentucky)
Little Caesar's (Garden City, MI)
Godfather's (Omaha, NE)
Shakey's (Sacramento, CA)
MOD Pizza (Seattle, WA)

[Dr. Sivana]

So there is now a pizza sized hole in YUM! Brands lineup (Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, The Habit).

They also spun off Long John Solver and A & W.

[Alas Babylon!]

Kinda funny Yum China’s buying it.

My local Pizza Hut closed. Now it’s a Chinese and Shushi place.

[suasponte137]

I cant believe Dominos stays afloat...their pizza sucks so bad.

[algore]

my local pizza places are pushing $50 for a large, granted the pizza is good but I refuse to spend over $50 for a large pizza.

[nitzy]

Donatos (Columbus, OH)

[whitney69]

Must have been the right time,
But it must have been the wrong place (country).

wy69

[Tommy Revolts]

...the private equity firm LongRange Capital will buy Pizza Hut

That's what I've been saying for awhile. Even the traditional thin crust style
pizza they had. That was a good pizza.

But now, a private equity firm. 😞

[T.B. Yoits]

Private Equity has already taken our happy places like Red Lobster, Toys R Us, Joans’s, etc.

Those who run private equity firms don't eat patronize their own stores or restaurants.

And such firms don't buy them to run them, they buy them to carve them up, sell off the assets, and move onto the next dying company.

They just don't like the term "vulture" or "dung beetle" but they do serve a needed function.

[IYAS9YAS]

Pizza Hut will now likely become the blandest, cheapest ingredient, generic carboard reheated frozen pizza product of them all.

So, no change from current?

[SoCal Pubbie]

How can you tell? It was awful when I tried it way before the family sold it.

[OrangeHoof]

You’ll love their ginseng-flavored pizza - or else.

[Rinnwald]

The kiss of death.

Literally death dressed up in a suit.

[GingisK]

I think the buffets is what causes pizza joints to fail.

[ek_hornbeck]

“private equity firm”. The kiss of death

Yep. Just look at what happened to Red Lobster and various other struggling brands. I was never a fan of Pizza Hut's pizza (it became especially greasy and bad in the last 10+ years), however, so no great loss when they tank.

[Rinnwald]

Surprisingly, the best chain pizza we ever had was about 20 years ago at a Pizza Hut near Rockaway Beach, Oregon. It was a sit-down dinner, and the whole family loved it.

I don’t know how they did it, but maybe the managers and cooks really matter.

We’ve never been able to replicate it at our local Pizza Huts. One of their managers was rude to my wife, so they’re dead to me anyway.