Pizza Hut's Surprising Kale Buying History

Pizza, Kale, and Unexpected Origins

There is an unmistakably odd but true fact about Pizza Hut's early years. Some decades ago, the franchise was an impressive buyer of kale. Yes, kale. Few people associate Pizza Hut with the leafy green; Anyone who knows Pizza Hut today knows the franchise for its runny mozzarella and crispy crusts. The world has since seen Pizza Hut grow from a kale-loving pizza franchise restaurant to a mega-brand. Today, the company commands some of the biggest buffets in the country, and has spawned buzzwords like “all-you-can-eat”. Yet, it was not always this way. It’s possible the kale filling Pizza Hut’s salad bar back in the day may have tasted different than the pizzas. In the buffet scene, the eatery sports rows upon rows of kale alongside the more familiar pizza toppings. The vibrant green stands in stark contrast to the more familiar ingredients. It’s a poignant reminder that in the buffet scene, Pizza Hut started from humble roots, and not all buffet foods are as spicy as the mozzarella. Pizza Hut is just as much at home with kale as they are in the nexus of the American food chain. It’s undeniable that Pizza Hut has changed over time. Like most American restaurants, Pizza Hut is not big on cold food preparation. Today, Pizza Hut is almost synonymous with the pizza, with the franchise almost never viewed as a salad bar restaurant. But the salad bar has helped shape the history of the franchise.

The Kale Conundrum

Pizza Hut has taken some unexpected turns, from a kale restaurant to becoming a national empire. As Pizza Hut grew, kale became a smaller part of their brand. The item was, however, not eliminated. The restaurant chain had shifted their center of attention. Pizza Hut detractors are wrong to suggest that the franchise does not focus on the quality product anymore, even though they are big on the pizza now. Pizza Hut’s focus on quality is visible even today. In some of the Pizzas the franchise still sells, kale is included. Satisfyingly crunchy and well-prepared, the kale remains a staple of Pizza Hut’s popularity, even though it is not prominent as the mozzarella or pizza crusts today. Most Pizza Hut fans of today are totally unaware of this quirk fact. Pizza Hut customers are also oblivious to its American food chain status, they are more interested in the global positioning of the franchise.

Branding and the Kale Connection

It is obvious that Pizza Hut sees no reason to drop the kale, despite being the biggest kale buyer in the United States. Is it a coincidence that Pizza Hut is the biggest franchise in the United States today? Pizza Hut’s unexpected green buys its reputation as an American food chain. The franchise’s Emerald air of sophistication is as fresh and savory as its salad bar. Pizza Hut customers are unlikely to visit the eatery for the salad bar, yet for the pizza. Pizza Hut’s salad bar may be viewed as the eatery’s secret weapon, a testament to the sort of restaurant Pizza Hut wants to be, from a humble beginning.

From Kale to Crusts

Today, Pizza Hut is known as a one time salad bar, a major kale buyer in the United States. But Pizza Hut’s expansion didn’t mean they abandoned their salad bar. It seems Pizza Hut sees that kale is for the best. Their salad bar is, today, an integral part of their brand, even if it isn’t the most spoken of by their customers. The kale is tangible evidence of Pizza Hut’s salad bar menu. Viewed in this light, Pizza Hut’s salad bar is quite substantial in the Pizza Hut brand. The salad bar is the product of Pizza Hut’s salad bar ket, while the pizza, though not towards the bottom of the kale rank, still the biggest revenue driver for the franchise.