Posted October 6, 2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3145545/Pizza-Hut-to-become-Pasta-Hut.html The chain, which launched its first restaurant in Britain in 1973, is replacing its pizza-focused menu with a menu consisting mainly of pasta dishes. This means that as well as the traditional deluxe pizzas, customers will also have the option of ordering more sophisticated dishes such as tomato and mozzarella mezzaluna and prawn and crayfish arrabiata. The re-branding is part of an £18 million revamp package designed to attract new customers and move it into more upmarket terrain. As part of the revamp, the chain is temporarily naming 30 of its branches Pasta Hut. Pizza Hut boss Alasdair Murdoch said: "We've really been on a journey for four or five years, trying to make our food better, offer more variety and quality for the customers. "Now we're putting our food above the parapet. We're trying to say to people: 'Yes, we're great at pizzas, but we're also great at salads and pasta.' Pasta is around 3 or 4 per cent of our sales. I'm very sure in a couple of weeks' time that will be 10 per cent." Mr Murdoch said they have also upgraded their distinctive salad bar and have made improvements in areas including the nutrition and quality of ingredients in their pizzas and pastas. A statement from the company also says that the restaurant plans to sneak 'hidden vegetables in kids' meals'. The re-naming is for a trial period only and customers can offer their thoughts on the new-look restaurants at Pastahut.co.uk. The company will be keen to hear feedback from customers since the decision to change such a big, household name is potentially a very risky one. I hope the trial period fails miserably Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Fuck that. If i want pizza, i go to pizza hut. If i want pasta i'll go to a real Italian restaurant... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Awesome! I love the pasta they offer at Pizza Hut already, so this is awesome news. I don't see the problem, they're still serving pizza so what is there to complain about? Pasta ftw. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Heard about this on the way to work type stuff today. I think its pretty daft. How dare they ruin my beloved Pizza Hut, the provider of Pizza, and replace it with this Pasta Hut bollocks. Give me my Pizza! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 If the pizza's are still there, I see no downside to this. Like, non. Except the name, of course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Sorry, I can't even feign outrage. A few Pizza Huts will be temporarily renamed, and the chain will stock a healthier range of pasta dishes in addition to their pizzas. I fail to see the point of contention. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Sod Pizza Hut, Mr Pizza down the road with his suspect Italian/Arabic accent and tremendously hairy arms provides all the 16" cheesy bread fun we need on a lazy Thursday evening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Sorry, I can't even feign outrage. A few Pizza Huts will be temporarily renamed, and the chain will stock a healthier range of pasta dishes in addition to their pizzas. I fail to see the point of contention. Ditto. It annoys me when people won't accept changes. I think it's a cool twist. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Didn't read it all, but it sounds cool to me! Two best foods in the world combined into one place! =D Now if only I ever went to a Pizza/Pasta Hut... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 I've seen them do some pasta dishes at Pizza Hut before, but to rape the place majority style is bullshit. Didn't read it all, but it sounds cool to me! Two best foods in the world combined into one place! =D Now if only I ever went to a Pizza/Pasta Hut... They don't do fish fingers properly at Pizza Hut, so it's still only one of the best foods. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Yeah its taken off really well in the states. While I was in florida they were showing ads of people sitting in posh restaurants and then being fed pizza hut pasta and enjoying it loads. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Sorry, I can't even feign outrage. A few Pizza Huts will be temporarily renamed, and the chain will stock a healthier range of pasta dishes in addition to their pizzas. I fail to see the point of contention. The first sentence in the article worried me: "The chain, which launched its first restaurant in Britain in 1973, is replacing its pizza-focused menu with a menu consisting mainly of pasta dishes." I don't really mind with the place offering other stuff on the side. Pizza Express serves a few pasta or salad dishes, too. But, the main focus is always on the pizza. That is the speciality. How long will it be until they phase out all the pizzas in that place and go pasta only? Change is good, but I don't think you should totally abandon your roots to do so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 as much as i like pasta/pizza hut, i prefer dominoes How long will it be until they phase out all the pizzas in that place and go pasta only? Change is good, but I don't think you should totally abandon your roots to do so. never, they're aiming for 10%within a few weeks, i doubt they'll make it close to even 30% after years of it, everyone loves pizza and pizzas make up a shitload of their profit i reckon, that and drinks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 Went past-a the Pasta Hut near the Arndale in Manchester before. It was... odd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 as much as i like pasta/pizza hut, i prefer dominoes never, they're aiming for 10%within a few weeks, i doubt they'll make it close to even 30% after years of it, everyone loves pizza and pizzas make up a shitload of their profit i reckon, that and drinks. Dominoes is just takeaway though, right? Well, I guess it doesn't really make all that much difference to me, anyway. Pizza Express is pretty much the king for me, at the moment. Plus, the dough balls you get there....yummy! I just don't see the point in changing things for the sake of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 I don't think I've ever had a pasta meal while eating out. I just think that it'll taste just like any pasta meal you can easily throw together. And for Pizzas...I just spend £4.50 on a 14" down at the local pizza place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 6, 2008 They've been doing this for quite a while now in Canada. TBH, I never eat there anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 7, 2008 as much as i like pasta/pizza hut, i prefer dominoes Definitely. Dominos is leagues ahead in my books. To me, the cheese on Pizza Hut pizzas is pretty poor and tastes really synthetic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 7, 2008 If it affected me in anyway, I'd have more of an opinion - but at the moment I don't see the problem. Its not like Pizza hut is the only business that make pizzas... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 7, 2008 Yeah its taken off really well in the states. While I was in florida they were showing ads of people sitting in posh restaurants and then being fed pizza hut pasta and enjoying it loads. Might've been a bit silly to show an ad where they thought it tasted like shit. Definitely. Dominos is leagues ahead in my books. To me, the cheese on Pizza Hut pizzas is pretty poor and tastes really synthetic. I diagree, Dominoes, well the one around here is bullshit. Too expensive [not saying Pizza Hut is cheap], takes too long [not saying Pizza Hut is quick], but there's something about the taste which is... shitty. The best pizzas are from Poppa Pizza, which I really need to have one, I've not done so in years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 7, 2008 Spray on cheese now on pasta? hmmm.... it's bad enough they use it on their pizzas. Could go well but as it's been said, if you want pasta and you're out for a meal you go to an italian restaurant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 7, 2008 The fuck..... ....I always thought it was spelt peetser. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 7, 2008 Its very risky, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to try it. The only thing is, Pasta Hut sounds just as cheap as Pizza Hut, so how they hope it will appeal to "more upmarket terrain" i dont know. It will never work at the end of the day though. Pizza Hut is too well known for such a big change. It would be like Mcdonalds changing its name to Mcharralds or something. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 7, 2008 Speaking of McDonalds, whats with their new burger? The "M" burger, some sort of high class cow... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
