Pizza Hut drops 'pizza' from its name as it prepares for ownership change

Pizza Hut revealed it will operate under the shortened name “HUT” for roughly the next 25 weeks, a move timed with the kickoff of the 2026 NFL season. A social-media one outlet showed a Plano, Texas location with a football-themed banner obscuring the word “pizza,” and the brand’s online avatars were switched to a logo lacking the term. This branding shift comes as Yum!

Brands moves to sell Pizza Hut to private-equity firm Long Range Capital, a transaction reported at about $2.7 billion in total. Long Range will acquire Pizza Hut’s worldwide operations except mainland China for around $1.5 billion, while Yum China Holdings will purchase the China business for about $1.2 billion. Yum!

CEO Chris Turner expressed confidence that the new ownership will bring deep restaurant expertise and support future expansion. The sale is expected to close within the month, marking a significant transition for the iconic chain.