Popular Pizza Chain Closing 250 Locations by July

Munching on a slice of pizza for lunch of dinner can make for a fun, quick meal, but now, a popular pizza chain will have 250 fewer locations across the country for people to get their fix.

It's certainly a sad thing to see pizza restaurants close, since pizza has such a rich history in the U.S. and beyond. Of course, pizza didn't start in the U.S., and according to Hello Fresh, the first form of pizza evolved from flatbread, "which has been around since the ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Egyptians."

Now, Yum Brands, the parent company for Pizza Hut, has announced during its February earnings call that is will close 250 U.S. Pizza Hut locations in the first half of the year. If they follow that timeline, that means 250 fewer Pizza Hut locations by the end of July.

Last last year, the company announced late last year that it was looking into a possible sale of the chain, after reporting a 1% decline in same-store sales in its third quarter, marking the eighth quarterly drop in a row.

Beloved Pizza Company Shutting Down 250 Locations, But They'll Still Have 20,000 Worldwide

"The Pizza Hut team has been working hard to address business and category challenges," Chris Turner, chief executive of Yum Brands said in November 2025, according to a report from Business Insider. "However, Pizza Hut's performance indicates the need to take additional action to help the brand realize its full value, which may be better executed outside Yum! Brands."

The company hasn't shared the roster of locations being closed, but they said it will impact "underperforming" locations.

In a separate feature on the closings, Tasting Table notes that the chain will still have more than 6,700 locations open in the U.S. after it closes those 250 restaurants. On top of that, it will have roughly 20,000 locations open around the world.

"The plan is to open more international outpost, and same-store sales are actually up in some regions of the world," Tasting Table notes. "Even with only about 3% of its locations closing in the U.S., it's certainly not insignificant. Although, there are rumors that Pizza Hut's parent company, Yum, may be thinking about selling the chain."

Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 by two brothers, Dan and Frank Carney, who borrowed $600 from their mom to open a pizza place in Wichita, Kansas." According to the company, "They named it Pizza Hut, because their sign only had room for eight letters."