Pizza Hut confirms ‘fast casual’ is the trend to follow

Published January 27, 2014 at 6:04 am

Last year, we had the news that chicken mainstay KFC was changing its look to go after younger consumers with a “fast casual” model. For the uninitiated, that includes a relaxed decor, clean surroundings, and offerings that emphasize health-conscious food or, at the very least, variety and freshness.

So perhaps it’s not that surprising that Pizza Hut, another American fast food mainstay, is following the trend, but it’s interesting to note specifically what the chain is trying to do in this effort. In a release posted on its website, the Hut has noted that its new look includes “hand-tossed” pizza crust designed to give each pizza a handmade feeling.

The company is actually reintroducing this concept, seeing as it has used hand-tossed crusts before, more than 30 years ago. But it’s impossible to look at this without thinking about exactly the kind of audience that the chain is looking to target.

It goes hand-in-hand with another campaign from the company, in which it is offering pizza by the slice in Rhode Island and Nebraska.

A piece in Advertising Age quoted Pizza Hut’s Carrie Walsh newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer on the significance of introducing this new style into their pizza.

“It has imperfections,” she said. “Customers definitely noticed a difference. We believe it’s a game-changer.”

Will it turn public opinion around about their product? If it’s done honestly enough, any major change change might prove to be successful for a company. But you need to make sure that there’s a coherent sense of what you’re trying to do and why.