Pizza Hut is changing its name and people are seriously confused
Pizza Hut is gearing up for the spectacular return of the NFL season, announcing jaw-dropping plans to change its name in time for the first official Gameweek.
Pre-season is well underway in the United States, with eight NFL sides remaining unbeaten during this practice run, including the Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The season is set to open on 9 September with reigning Super Bowl LX champions the Seattle Seahawks hosting last season’s runners-up, the New England Patriots, at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Ahead of the first game, Pizza Hut shared that it will temporarily change its branding for 25 weeks to celebrate sporting prowess.
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The new moniker will be in play until 10 January 2027, little more than a month before the 2027 Super Bowl at the SoFi Stadium.
“At first, I didn’t really get it. But I’ll say this…We do business with Pizza Hut. And we want them to spend lots of money with Barstool. So I think it’s a brilliant move. Whoever came up with that, I like it,” said One Bite pizza reviewer and Barstool Sports founder, Dave Portnoy.
“They’re thinking smart. It’s football season. There it is, the football with the ‘Hut.’ And you know, they’re gonna spread this message,” he continued on Varney & Co.
“They gotta find some new media vehicles that cover football and maybe do a little bit of an ad spend to let people know what’s going on so they don’t get confused.”
Portnoy’s praise comes amid the reveal that Pizza Hut has undergone a brand truncation and is now (temporarily) known as Hut.
“You can just call us HUT for the next 25 weeks,” the chain, previously owned by Yum! Brands, wrote on Instagram.
The statement was accompanied by an image of a restaurant in Plano, Texas, with a football banner draped over the word 'Pizza'.
A spokesperson told People Magazine that the temporary rebrand to Hut is a ‘playful, limited activation deployed at select Pizza Hut locations, designed as a fun nod to our longtime role in football traditions’.
“’Hut’ is part of football vernacular and, of course, it’s always been part of ours, so bringing the two together felt like a natural and memorable way to celebrate the season,” the spokesperson continued.
“This creative take on our signage is simply a reminder to football fans that game day starts with ‘Hut'," they added.
Football fans have weighed in on Pizza Hut’s new identity, with one simply writing: “Why tho @pizzahut”
A second said: “Why would you ever do that to such an iconic brand?”
“They hired the Cracker Barrel lady, didn’t they?,” joked someone else, referring to the chain’s recent logo redesign debacle and CEO Julie Masino stepping away from the company.
Others have praised Hut for the name change, with one typing: “tis’ the season,” followed by a football emoji.
“Genuis!! Whoever came up with this idea, pay them MORE!!!,” another remarked.
A third said: “Can’t wait for late night ordering.”
The Pizza Hut campaign comes after the chain was sold for $2.7 billion following a ‘comprehensive review of strategic’ options by Yum! Brands.
Private equity firm LongRange Capital and Yum China Holdings, Inc. have purchased the company, with final sales expected to occur in the third quarter of 2026.
In a release dated 16 June, Yum! Brands claimed Pizza Hut would be ‘well positioned for future growth with ownership that brings deep expertise in the restaurant industry’.
“Pizza Hut was built by the passion and dedication of our team members, employees and franchisees, and we’re excited for the next chapter,” the company said.
Topics: US Food, News, Restaurants and bars
Ella Scott