Until now the differences between Yum! Brands Pizza Hut, Domino's , and Papa John's have been mostly a matter of personal preference. Aside from the occasional special offer or novelty pie, all three chains offer a basic take on pizza.
That has changed as Pizza Hut, the lagging member of this trio of mediocre national pizza purveyors, has radically overhauled its menu. The company, which in recent years has resorted to stuffing cheese into its crusts, has added a wealth of new choices built on the idea that customers want customization. It's pizza on the Chipotle model with choices including 10 different crust flavors, six sauces, and a variety of new toppings.
Favorites like the Meat Lover's Pizza will remain, but customers will now be able to order it with a variety of enhancements. So, for people who want their pepperoni and sausage with honey Sriracha sauce and "Ginger Boom Boom" or "Curried Away" crust, Pizza Hut will have it for them.
The new Cherry Pepper Bombshell pizza by Pizza Hut Source: Pizza Hut
Why is Pizza Hut doing this?
Pizza Hut has reported sales declines for each of the last eight quarters and this new menu is an attempt to turn things around. "This is the biggest change we've ever made," Chief Marketing Officer Carrie Walsh told USA TODAY . "We're redefining the category."
Pizza Hut needed to do something; as it has struggled, Domino's and Papa John's have been chugging along nicely. In the third quarter Domino's posted 7.7% domestic same-store sales growth year over year and growth of 7.1% internationally, marking the 83rd consecutive quarter of international same-store sales growth. In its third quarter, Papa John's posted a 7.4% gain in its North American stores while gaining 5.5% internationally.
Will it work?
One industry analyst told USA Today the chain might be trying to do too much too fast. "It would appear that the brand that has lost touch with the consumer is trying to change too much overnight," Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic, was quoted as saying.
Pizza Hut might be aiming to please customers with a shift to Chipotle-like customization, but it's going to be a challenge for a Yum! Brands property to gain a similar reputation. Chipotle has succeeded not just because it offers customization, but because it has a well-known commitment to quality food. Neither Pizza Hut nor sister chains Taco Bell and KFC have reputations based on offering good food. Pizza Hut may find that simply adding trendy flavors like Sriracha may not be enough to win quality-conscious millennials.
On the plus side, the chain will be adding new toppings including banana peppers, cherry peppers, and spinach. On the negative, filed under "please don't insult our intelligence," the pizza purveyor will be renaming a number of its standard toppings, ostensibly to make them more appealing. The customer who cares where Chipotle sources its beef from may not be fooled by Pizza Hut renaming black olives as "Mediterranean black olives" or red onions being dubbed "fresh red onions," even though nothing has changed.
Can Pizza Hut be reinvented?
While Domino's rebuilt its brand by revamping its pizza a few years ago, the company just improved its recipe, it did not radically change its menu. What Pizza Hut is doing amounts to a massive change in direction, an attempt to differentiate itself from its two major competitors.
Pizza Hut's moves might even send some of its customers running for its rivals. Though the chain will still be selling "normal" pizzas, it runs the risk of confusing people who just want a plain old pepperoni pie and do not want to have to wade through a wealth of options. Those customers may well switch to Domino's or Papa Johns.
The potential gain however is not in stealing traditional, undiscerning pizza eaters from its rivals, it's a bigger growth strategy of winning over fast-casual diners not necessarily looking for pizza. Domino's and Papa John's have largely penned themselves in to a specific audience -- people who want familiar pizzas cheaply.
Pizza Hut is looking to break the mold and widen its potential customer base -- a move that could push it ahead of its rivals. That is a huge risk because the company could scare away its existing customers while failing to win new ones. For this to work the brand has to win customers not just from its pizza rivals, but from fast-casual restaurants including Chipotle, which have a higher perceived quality.
To do that, Pizza Hut needs to up its game. It's one thing to offer more choice, but a lousy salted caramel organic beet pizza with an artisanal cheese crust won't be successful just because it has a lot of trendy words attached to it.
To make this new offering, which rolls out Nov. 19, work, the company is going to need to actually deliver quality pizza that people want to come back for. Fancily named olives and balsamic drizzles won't be able to disguise a mediocre pie.
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The article Should Domino's and Papa John's Fear Pizza Hut's Big Menu Changes? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Daniel Kline has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool owns shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill and Papa John's International. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days . We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .
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