You may have come across a number of different Pizza Huts in your life, and it may feel at times as if one exists around every corner. So, that then leads to a different question, just how many Pizza Huts are there in the world?
But it’s also interesting to look at not only the number of restaurants right now but also how they have grown over the last few years. When you do that, what you see is that Pizza Hut appears to have taken over the world, at least from a pizza perspective.
But how many restaurants exist?
You see, this question remains something you cannot really guess at. You will perhaps know where to find a Pizza Hut in your locality, but try to take that picture in your mind and apply it globally.
It’s not so easy, is it?
But luckily we can get some stats as to the number of restaurants with the Pizza Hut brand above its door. Also, it’s Pizza Hut itself that provides these stats. It turns out this company remains quite open about these stats.
The Answer
According to official statistics for 2021, the world had a grand total of 18,381 Pizza Huts. Now, we don’t know if the figure is actually higher or lower than you anticipated, but you must also remember that they do not have restaurants in every country in the world.
But considering the number of different pizza brands out there in the market, that does mean this brand has worked hard at establishing itself around the globe. From a variety of locations, some of which you may not have predicted, to others where you may have expected more restaurants, it’s fascinating.
But just looking at this number does not tell the full picture of what the pizza market is like. Instead, we need to look at how this recent number of pizza restaurants in 2021 compares to previous years, and also where they operate.
You may find a few surprises when you break down the numbers. In fact, we reckon some of the statistics could change your entire understanding of who loves pizza in various countries.
How Their Numbers Have Grown
Pizza Hut has seen a yearly increase in the number of restaurants it has around the world apart from in 2020. However, the drop in 2020, which saw numbers go from 18,703 down to 17,639 was linked to the Pandemic.
But this still doesn’t tell the whole story about the Pizza Hut brand. So, we need to delve a bit deeper into the statistics to see what’s going on with the brand.
If you go back to 2010, then Pizza Hut had a total of 13,432 restaurants, so in just over a decade they gained some 5,000 restaurants. That increase represents real growth, and it does mean Pizza Hut has the second-highest number of restaurants in the parent company. The brand with the most is KFC.
Since 2010, the Pizza Hut brand has witnessed steady growth on a yearly basis. As we said, there was a dip when it came to the pandemic but they do appear to have partly corrected that dip in 2021.
But one thing that remains clear is the way in which the Pizza Hut brand continues to expand globally.
Countries They Operate in
According to Yum Brands, who runs Pizza Hut, they have restaurants in over 100 countries, so we can hardly sit here listing them. However, it makes sense that the United States is the country with the most.
If you look at the numbers, then the US has almost a third of the restaurants with over 6,600. If you want to break things down even more, then Texas has the most accounting for 873 restaurants. That equates to some 13% of all restaurants in the entire country.
However, this number dropped from a high of close to 8,000 a couple of years ago. But even with that, it does still represent a significant percentage of all Pizza Hut restaurants in the world.
If you want to know about other countries, then China certainly loves Pizza Hut. At one point, China had more than 2,000 restaurants, but that number has dropped in the last couple of years. However, they still have more than 1,200 restaurants in around 500 cities.
The countries they operate in can also come as a shock. For example, you may not expect Pizza Hut to have a number of stores in Curacao, but they do. The same goes for the West Bank in the Middle East.
Basically, you will find a Pizza Hut on every continent.
Surprising Numbers?
But while the numbers in both the US and China may not come as much of a surprise, other countries could shock you when it comes to the number of Pizza Hut restaurants they have.
Take Canada as an example. They fall way back with around 400 restaurants across the country. Even the UK has more than Canada even though the land of Pizza Hut is just over the border.
Germany is another country that may surprise you. Pizza Hut has existed in Germany for over 30 years, but they still only have around 100 outlets in the entire country. Considering the population of Germany, that number does come across as low.
And then there’s Italy. It’s no surprise that Pizza Hut has very little interest in breaking into the Italian market. They simply cannot compete in the land of pizza with what they offer and the prices they charge.
For Italy, it’s simply the case that it would result in them wasting their money and time trying to grab a share of an ultra-competitive market. Instead, they prefer to focus their attention on other markets where they do at least stand a fighting chance of making some money.
But you may find it interesting to know that Pizza Hut has a total of 12 stores in Trinidad along with 3 in Zimbabwe. Even the small island of Mauritius has a staggering 7 stores over a very small space.
Those few facts alone indicate the overall reach of Pizza Hut around the world.
How Does it Relate to Their Competitors?
But while having over 18,000 restaurants sounds like a lot, you may want to know how these numbers line up against other pizza brands.
The main competitor for the crown of the pizzeria with the most restaurants is undoubtedly Dominos. At this moment, Dominos operates more restaurants globally with a total of 18,848.
However, this surge into the lead is a relatively new thing. It’s all thanks to them opening up over 1,000 restaurants in the last year, which is more than Pizza Hut. It does seem as if they did not suffer the same level of shrinkage during the pandemic as Pizza Hut, and that’s made a difference.
But aside from Dominos, nothing else comes close. Even Papa John’s lags way behind with less than 6,000 restaurants around the world.
What Does the Future Hold?
While Pizza Hut clearly does not have a crystal ball, it’s reasonable to assume that by the end of 2022 they will have reached a new high with their number of restaurants.
After that, it’s also relatively easy to predict that they may break through the 20,000 barrier by the end of 2023.
If it hadn’t been for the pandemic, then they may have already achieved this, and would have remained the leader with the number of restaurants. But the growth of almost 1,000 stores in a single year does indicate a resurgance.
Think of it this way, that’s more than one a day opening up around the world, and that’s impressive.
However you look at it, the future for the Pizza Hut brand certainly appears rosy. They continue to make a profit, and people still tend to view the brand in a favorable way.
The only question that is tough to answer is the countries where they may experience better growth. Once again we can presume that the United States will be one of them, but the rest would only represent the best possible guess.
Overall Conclusion
Pizza Hut operates a vast number of restaurants globally, and they would lead the way if the pandemic had not wiped out over 1,000 of their restaurants.
However, they have bounced back in 2021 with a number of restaurants opening up around the world, and that number will only increase throughout 2022. But there’s no way of knowing right now if they will manage to overtake Dominos for numbers as they too will continue to experience significant growth.
But having so many restaurants around the world, with a significant number in the US, does mean you can pretty much find one no matter where you live. Their popularity never seems to wane, and there’s certainly no reason why that should be the case.
