Plano-based Pizza Hut has introduced a new, innovative restaurant design concept that the company said offers an elevated, modern, more-connected experience enabled by digital and technology innovations.

And the launch is right in the company’s backyard.

Located at 8605 Ohio Drive in Plano, the restaurant includes self-service kiosks for faster order placement, cabinets for contactless pick-up, and a guest-facing pizza making station to show off the “quality and care” that goes into every Pizza Hut pizza. The restaurant will also introduce a drive-thru featuring a “Hut ‘N Go” menu that offers a select list of “ready-now” items that can be quickly ordered and picked up at the window.

Photo: Pizza Hut

“From its physical layout to its modern design and digital-forward capabilities, this new restaurant showcases Pizza Hut’s legacy of innovation and unique ability to meet changing guest needs in ways that are distinctive to our brand,” CEO Aaron Powell said in a statement. “Beyond just serving delicious pizza, which we do very well, it’s equally as critical that our guests enjoy a seamless experience with us that feels personalized to their tastes and needs. This restaurant format harnesses the power of these priorities and, as a result, creates magic that only Pizza Hut can offer.”

The new location also has sustainability features including energy-efficient lighting, auto lift fryers, and energy-efficient ovens with in-vent hoods and an Energy Management System.

Photo: Pizza Hut

“At Pizza Hut we’re laser focused on amplifying the experience for everyone who engages with our brand, and we understand that guest experience—particularly one that combines delight with digital convenience—can be a key differentiator,” Shannon Garcia, president, Global Franchise Markets and Global Operations, Pizza Hut, said in a statement. “For example, the digital and tech-driven features of this restaurant design in particular—from order kiosks to self-access pick-up cabinets to the digital drive-thru menu—help guests easily guide their own journey with Pizza Hut and allow our restaurant team members to better serve them.”

Showcasing ‘our ability to innovate and evolve’

The Plano restaurant is the first of this concept in the United States; it’s already operational in more than 80 markets around the globe, with research showing that the new design offers an enhanced guest experience while also driving more transactions and in-restaurant traffic compared to previous formats.

Photo: Pizza Hut

“Featured in nearly 2,000 Pizza Huts worldwide, we’ve seen how this restaurant design brings the brand to life with a distinctive, modern exterior, an effortless blend of physical and digital touchpoints and increased human interaction around the joy of pizza. In addition, the open kitchen approach lets our guests see the magic of our team members in motion as they craft each pizza,” Joseph Call, global chief development officer, said in a statement.

The company said the new restaurant replaces an older Pizza Hut format that stood at the Plan0 location for 25 years.

“This location goes beyond a restaurant redesign; it embodies Pizza Hut’s creativity and vision for the brand’s future,” said Kalen Thornton, Pizza Hut’s global chief brand officer. “This opening showcases our ability to innovate and evolve, which has served our 65-year leadership in pizza culture.”

A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, and is a global leader in the pizza category with more than 19,500 restaurants in 110 markets and territories.

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