Who Is the Founder of Pizza Hut?

There were actually two people who founded Pizza Hut and they are brothers.

The popular restaurant chain Pizza Hut was founded by Dan and Frank Carney in 1958. The Carney brothers decided to open their own pizza parlor in their home town of Wichita, Kansas, along with a friend and business partner John Bender. The three of them knew how to operate a small business (and how to make pizza), and the restaurant took off, with satellite locations opening beginning just a year later.

Start and Growth of Pizza Hut

As with most chain restaurants, the Carney brothers, the men who were the founders of Pizza Hut, knew that standardization was key:

• They worked with a local architect to develop the distinctive “hut style” roof of Pizza Hut restaurants.
• They also came up with a standard menu, ingredients, and preparation process to be used in all locations.

The location network continued to expand successfully through both franchise and company-owned stores across America. 

By the 1970s, Pizza Hut was an official contender, with over 300 stores and a place on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1978 the company was purchased from the Carney brothers by Pepsi, who also owned other chain restaurants at the time (and would own still more in the future). 

Pizza Hut is still an American classic, with its distinctive pizza parlor style restaurants and classic, recognizable flavors.  And now, next time you eat at Pizza Hut, you'll know the names of the founders of Pizza Hut so you'll know who to thank for your delicious meal.