Before the pandemic, Pizza Hut was already falling behind its competitors. Pizza Hut was the largest pizza chain by global sales until Domino’s moved into No. 1 in 2017. Three years later, Pizza Hut’s largest U.S. franchisee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Analysts say Pizza Hut needs to resolve three problems if it hopes to regain ground: reconciling its large restaurant footprint; upgrading its online ordering and delivery technology, which has been lackluster in comparison to its peers; offering a more popular menu.
CORRECTION (November 24, 2020): A previous version of this description incorrectly stated that Pizza Hut, not the chain’s largest U.S. franchisee, filed for bankruptcy. It also misidentified the reasons for Pizza Hut’s downward trajectory.