Pizza Hut has introduced a new restaurant design in Plano, Texas, focused on technology and convenience to attract more customers.
The store features self-service kiosks, heated cabinets for contactless order pickup, and a drive-thru.
The drive-thru includes a “Hut ‘N Go” menu that offers a select list of “ready-now” items that can be quickly ordered and picked up at the window.
While the design is geared towards making takeout and digital orders easier, it also aims to boost in-store dining with its guest-facing pizza-making station where customers can watch the cooking process up close.
Though Pizza Hut already operates smaller, takeout, and delivery-only locations with mobile order pickup lanes in the U.S., the Plano store appears to strike a balance between its traditional sit-down locations and off-premises-focused formats.
The store design features heated pickup cabinets and kiosks for ordering.
This store design is a first for the U.S., but it’s already up and running in nearly 2,000 Pizza Huts internationally. According to the company, this ‘digital-forward’ setup has helped drive more orders than traditional restaurants.
“We are laser-focused on amplifying the experience for everyone who engages with our brand, and we understand that guest experience, particularly one that combines delight with digital convenience, can be a key differentiator,” said Shannon Garcia, president, of global franchise markets and global operations at Pizza Hut.
Response to declining sales
This comes as Pizza Hut aims to attract more consumers amid declining sales.
Pizza Hut, owned by Yum! Brands (YUM), reported a 4 percent decline in same-store sales for Q3 2024, leading to a nearly 2 percent drop in total revenues compared to last year. In the U.S., same-store sales fell 1 percent in Q3 and 3 percent for the year.
The move is also part of a broader trend in the quick-service restaurant industry, as more brands adapt their store designs to serve digital guests, make pickup easier, and create a more modern vibe.
“From its physical layout to its modern design and digital-forward capabilities, this new restaurant showcases Pizza Hut’s legacy of innovation and unique ability to meet changing guest needs in ways that are distinctive to our brand,” said Aaron Powell, CEO of Pizza Hut.
