Pizza Hut closing 250 locations across the US as parent company holds ‘strategic review’

Pizza Hut’s parent company said the closures would target underperforming restaurant locations

Pizza Hut is set to close 250 stores across the U.S. as its parent company continues a strategic review of the struggling pizza chain.

Yum! Brands revealed during its fourth quarter 2025 earnings call Wednesday that 250 underperforming Pizza Hut locations would close during the first half of 2026.

The company, which also owns Taco Bell and KFC, did not specify which locations would shutter. However, the number of locations that will close makes up about 3 percent of Pizza Hut’s U.S. footprint, CNN reported.

In November, Yum! CEO Chris Turner said the company launched a “formal review of strategic options” for Pizza Hut, and said the company was considering selling the struggling pizza chain.

During Wednesday’s call, the company said it could not discuss the ongoing review, which it expects to be completed this year.

Pizza Hut is set to close 250 stores across the U.S. during the first half of 2026, as its parent company looks to revive the struggling pizza chain (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Yum! CFO Ranjith Roy said that the closures would target underperforming locations. The Independent has reached out to Yum! for comment.

It comes as the chain continues to struggle against to rival chains like Domino’s Pizza, unlike other Yum! brands like Taco Bell, which has consistently drawn in new customers by introducing new menu items.

Meanwhile, Pizza Hut suffered a decline in same-store sales for its U.S. locations, dropping 3 percent for the fourth quarter and 5 percent for the year, according to the company’s earnings release.

Pizza Hut first launched in 1969 and has nearly 20,000 stores in more than 100 countries (PA Archive)

Pizza Hut has nearly 20,000 stores in more than 100 countries, but the company gets nearly half its sales from the U.S., where it has about 6,500 stores.

In 2020, one of Pizza Hut’s largest franchisees filed for bankruptcy protection and closed 300 stores.

The once-popular pizza chain launched in 1969 and by 1971, was the top pizza chain in the world by sales. In 1977, PepsiCo acquired Pizza Hut, and later spun off its restaurant division — which became Yum Brands — in 1997.