Pizza Hut Is Dropping ‘Pizza’ From Its Name for 25 Weeks — Here’s the Reason Why
The chain will go by “Hut” through the NFL season. Meanwhile, Yum! Brands is finalizing a deal to sell Pizza Hut to two different buyers.
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Hut Hut hike! Pizza Hut will go by just “Hut” for the next 25 weeks, timed to the 2026 NFL season. A restaurant in Plano, Texas, the chain’s headquarters, showed off the rebrand with a football-shaped banner covering the word “Pizza” on its exterior sign, and the company swapped its social media logos to match, according to Fox Business.
You can just call us HUT for the next 25 weeks 🏈 pic.twitter.com/yC6VrTGINh
— Pizza Hut (@pizzahut) August 19, 2026
The rebrand comes as parent company Yum! Brands is in the process of selling Pizza Hut. Private equity firm LongRange Capital agreed to buy the chain’s operations outside mainland China for about $1.5 billion, while Yum China Holdings is separately acquiring the mainland China business for $1.2 billion, a combined $2.7 billion deal expected to close this month.
The sale follows years of pressure on Pizza Hut’s U.S. business, which generated about 12% of Yum!’s 2025 revenue but had posted declining domestic sales for 10 straight quarters. “Pizza Hut was built by the passion and dedication of our team members, employees and franchisees, and we’re excited for the next chapter,” Yum! CEO Chris Turner said.
Pizza Hut purists need not panic — the “Hut” rebrand isn’t permanent. It’s expected to revert back once the football season promotion wraps.