New Delhi: Pizza Hut has announced the landmark launch of its 500th store in the country. Pizza Hut’s 500th store was inaugurated in Moga, Punjab by actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood. The company also shared that it has ambitious expansion plans to considerably increase its footprint in India in the next five years. Pizza Hut has been on a steady growth trajectory and plans to enter several new cities by the end of 2021 to expand its presence in tier-2 and tier-3 cities alongside metros.
On the business front, Pizza Hut has been focusing on a delivery-centric, digital-first approach in keeping with its R.E.D strategy to be Relevant, Easy, and Distinctive. The brand recently touched the highest delivery sales ever in India – this success was achieved on the back of a seamless digital ordering experience, industry best value deals, and end-to-end contactless services which assured customers of maximum food safety and hygiene.
Elated on the occasion, Merrill Pereyra, Managing Director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent said, “We are truly humbled and grateful for the unwavering love and trust of our customers and thank them for this momentous achievement. We also owe this success to our franchisee partners and the entire extended Pizza Hut family who work passionately and relentlessly every single day for the love of pizza. We are deeply invested in India and look forward to growing the brand aggressively in the next few years.”
Pizza Hut opened its first store in 1996 in Bangalore, becoming the first international pizza chain to enter India. The brand has brought several product and service innovations to the country throughout its journey of 25 years and has been voted as the ‘Most Trusted Brand’ by consumers in independent surveys for over a decade in a row. Credited with bringing its iconic pan pizza to India, the brand has continually improved the recipe over the years and only uses freshly made dough every single day for a perfectly baked pizza crust that’s crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, 100% mozzarella cheese, the best quality toppings, and a flavourful, lip-smacking herb-infused sauce. Focused on customer-centric offerings, Pizza Hut has introduced a wide variety of innovative pizzas which are customized to suit the Indian palate like Tandoori Paneer, Veg Kebab Surprise, Chicken Tikka Supreme, and many more. The brand has further elevated its pan pizzas by introducing scrumptious stuffed crust variants like Veg Kebab, Chicken Seekh Kebab, and Cheese Maxx.
With a motto to ensure ‘Trust in Every Bite’, Pizza Hut follows all regulatory protocols and guidelines issued by the government, WHO, and FSSAI for maximum food hygiene and safety of customers. The pizzas are baked at 240 degrees which eliminates all viruses and is packed in disinfected, tamper-proof boxes. Fresh, sanitized vegetables and FSSAI-licensed ingredients are used in all food preparations to ensure great quality and taste.