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Pizza Hut to test selling pizza by the slice in select locations

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X

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/13/pizza-hut-to-offer-by-the-slice/4458503/

NEW YORK (AP) — Pizza Hut plans to start offering pizza by the slice for the first time in two test locations this week, as the chain looks to keep pace with trendy competitors offering quick, made-to-order pies.

The chain says the two locations — one in York, Neb. and Pawtucket, R.I. — will open on Tuesday.

A slice will cost between $2 and $3 and take three to four minutes to heat up. They'll be made with new recipes more in line with the thinner pies sold in the Northeast.

The tests reflect how established restaurant chains are scrambling to reinvent themselves to keep pace with a rapidly changing industry. Diners are increasingly flocking to places such as Chipotle, where they feel they can get restaurant-quality food for just a little more than they would pay at fast-food chains such as Burger King.

In fact, Chipotle recently announced plans to move into the pizza business with Pizzeria Locale. Customers walk up to a counter and can watch as their pizza is built; the pie is then placed in an oven that cooks it in about 2 minutes. Other pizza chains feature similar fast-cooking, make-your-own concepts, including Blaze Pizza, based in Pasadena, Calif., and Pizza Studio, based in Los Angeles.

For its part, Pizza Hut has been focusing on developing its smaller format carry-out stores rather than its dine-in restaurants in recent years as its sales have been choppy. In the first three quarters of 2013, sales fell slightly at locations open at least year.

"We're seeing the trends for quick and ready products," noted Carrie Walsh, Pizza Hut's chief marketing officer.

Rival Domino's has also been selling pizza by the slice at some of its newly designed stores, according to a spokesman. Pizza Hut's parent company, Yum Brands, is also testing a more upmarket concept with its KFC chain called "KFC eleven." And McDonald's, the world's biggest hamburger chain, is testing a "build-your-own burger" concept in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

The growing emphasis on speed may prove to be a stumbling block for some companies. Pizza Hut's traditional ovens, for instance, take about 7 to 10 minutes to cook pies, according to Al Litchenburg, the chain's chief development officer. By comparison, the upstart pizza chains such as Blaze Pizza promise cooking times of just two to three minutes.

Litchenburg says the Pizza Hut test locations will be equipped new ovens to heat up the slices, but they'll also have the traditional ovens to cook other pies.

He said the company, which is based in Plano, Texas, and has 6,400 U.S. locations, will test variations of the concept throughout the year before deciding how to proceed.

The test restaurant in Nebraska will feature a look designed to be more in line with the experience one might expect at a Panera or Chipotle. It will have salad and pasta stations; customers walk up and order their food, then have it brought to them by employees.

The smaller Rhode Island location will only feature the "slice bar." The slices there will be a bit thinner than in Nebraska to reflect local tastes, Litchenburg said.
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V

Valnen

Member
Pretty smart. Whenever I go to a place like Sam's Club I pretty much always buy a slice of Pizza on the way out. $3 is kinda pricy though.
 
C

chickdigger802

Banned
would only make sense if this was sold at pizzahut expresses too. put them in swanky triangle boxes.

I don't know about yall but i'd totally down to buying stuffed crust pizza by the slice.


beats getting the urge and buying a whole pizza myself and feeling bad. now i'll feel less bad.
 
Q

qizah

Unconfirmed Member
That's like what we pay for a slice here for Pizza Pizza.
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
Haven't bought a pizza from Pizza Hut in years but wouldn't the prices of two-three slices equal a medium or large pizza at that price?
 
D

Darryl

Banned
in my experience pizza hut can lay the cheese/sauce/toppings on real thick. $2-3 bucks might not be too bad.
 
J

joelseph

Member
Darryl said:
in my experience pizza hut can lay the cheese/sauce/toppings on real thick. $2-3 bucks might not be too bad.
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The only thing they lay on thick is that bargain basement grease that will permeate your body for the following 48 hours. And liquid diarrhea.
 
D

Darklord

Banned
A slice will cost between $2 and $3 and take three to four minutes to heat up.
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Troy_laughing.gif


I can get a whole pizza for $5 at domino's.
 
J

jond76

Banned
joelseph said:
Pizza Hut is nasty but it's better than NYC pizza, so congrats New York, that is big news for you.
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I was going to say the opposite. NY has better pizza on any corner than you can find in Pizza Hut. I like the idea, but a) It's too expensive compared to why they're up against in NY, and b) I forget what I was going to say...
 
D

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
How much is Sbarros slices? They're way better tasting than pizza hut and they're big, fat, greasy things.

Wish they had a drive thru for maximum fatness.
 
S

SegaShack

Member
In 99 I remember going in a Pizza Hut location with my family and we each ordered a slice, I even got an Episode 1 Yoda Toy from there. Maybe this store just did their own thing then? I didn't think this was a new thing.
 
S

Sectorseven

Member
You're paying for convenience. You get a freshly baked slice in two minutes. That plus most people buying by the slice are probably just stopping in for a quick bite and don't want to deal with taking a whole pie along with them.
 
V

Valnen

Member
TheChocolateWar said:
Is there some objective pizza metric agreed on by the Pizza Union of the United States I don't know about?
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People generally think their tastes are law on the internet. This is especially true when it comes to music.

Personally I think Pizza Hut's quality has degraded to the point that even Little Caesars is better.
 
I

IHaveIce

Banned
The difference between Pizza Hut here in germany and the one I ate in New York is enormous.

Well but the same can be said about McDonalds or any other fast food chain, they all taste super bad in the US compared to here, and they aren't even topnotch in Germany.

Though you can already buy pizza per slice at them here.



But more importantly what is the best pizza in NYC? I will be there late summer again.
 
G

.GqueB.

Banned
IHaveIce said:
But more importantly what is the best pizza in NYC? I will be there late summer again.
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You'll get a million answers to this but the only factually correct one is NY Pizza Suprema on 31st and 8th. If you're looking for a sit down place don't fall for that Grimaldi's horseshit. Saraghina in Bed Stuy is where it's at.
 
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