Pizza Hut is a long time leader and innovator in the world of pizza.
Now “the Hut” is bringing a regional sensation to its customers nationwide.
And Pizza fans on the Internet are fired up after Pizza Hut announces this surprising new menu item.
Pizza Hut takes a Chicago favorite nationwide — but it’s not deep dish
Pizza Hut is the leader in creating new gimmicks in the highly competitive pizza business.
They popularized stuffed crust pizza in the 1990s and turned it into a national craze.
And the chain adapted regional styles of pizza for its national customer base like the Big New Yorker and its Detroit-style pizza.
Now Pizza Hut is turning to one of the most popular styles of pizzas to come out of Chicago, Illinois.
But to everyone’s surprise, it’s not the pizza this city is most commonly associated with.
Chicago is famous for its deep-dish pizza that has an extra thick crust.
They’re baked in a pan – often with the thickness of a cake pan – with the sauce on top to keep the cheese from getting burned during the long bake times.
But Chicago’s tavern-style pizza is lesser known nationally but is a favorite in the Windy City.
Tavern style is a thin-crust pizza that’s cut into small squares.
It became popular for bars in the Chicago area to hand out to customers during happy hours to keep them hanging around longer without filling them up so much they didn’t want to drink more.
Now the tavern-style is coming to the rest of the country as Pizza Hut’s latest menu offering.
Pizza Hut debuts Chicago tavern-style pizza and 8 new menu toppings
Pizza Hut is debuting its Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza, which comes in a crispy cracker-thin crust that is cut into squares that make it perfect for sharing.
Customers can build their own or choose from one of four signature creations – Pesto Margherita, The Ultimate, Spicy Chicken Sausage, and Double Pepperoni.
The Pesto Margherita comes with sweet marinara, grape tomatoes, garlic, basil pesto, and Parmesan-oregano seasoning.
And The Ultimate is piled high with sausage, pepperoni, fire-roasted peppers, onions, grape tomatoes, and Parmesan-oregano seasoning.
Pizza Hut said they are the first national pizza chain to release a tavern-style pizza.
The chain also announced the biggest change to its toppings lineup in more than a decade.
Spicy marinara sauce, pesto sauce swirl, chicken sausage, fresh diced garlic, grape tomatoes, caramelized onions, fire roasted peppers, and crispy cupped pepperoni are now available as toppings.
Pizza Hut Chief Food Innovation Officer Rachel Antalek said tavern-style pizza has become more than just a trend.
“These menu additions represent a bold step forward as part of our culinary mission to bring our guests modern innovation that embraces what we know our customers are loving and looking for in a pizza,” Antalek said. “Tavern is not just a pizza; it is a culinary trend that reflects the excitement of today’s pizza scene.”
“We perfected these recipes to truly pay homage to Chicago and the hundred-year-old style in a modern way while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a pizza with fresh new toppings and flavors,” Antalek added.
Pizza lovers can look forward to Pizza Hut’s new tavern-style pizza that’s perfect for snacking on or sharing.
Informed American will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
