Pizza Huts officials are planning to start selling pizza by the slice in two locations for the first time this week. It is part of a test to remake its image and court the 20 to 30 year old diners.
The two locations taking part in the test are in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and York, Nebraska and start Tuesday selling per slice.
A slice of pizza will set a diner back $2 to $3 with a three to four minute period for heating up. The new slices will be made from new recipes similar to pizzas that are thinner and popular in the northeast.
Diners are flocking more and more to chains like Chipotle where they can receive food that is restaurant quality for only pennies more than eating at fast food outlets like Burger King or Wendy’s.
Chipolte in fact has recently announced its plans to start selling pizza in its Pizzeria Locale. Customers are able to walk to the counter and watch their pizza made; the pie is placed in the oven and cooks in just 2 minutes.
Pizza Hut is focusing on the development of its smaller format stores for carryout instead of their dine-in restaurants, as sales have tended to be choppy. In the first three quarters of last year, sales fell at locations that had been opened longer than one year.
Pizza Hut rival Domino’s has already been selling slices of pizza at some newly designed stores, according to one of their spokespeople. Yum Brands, the parent company for Pizza Hut is testing an up-market approach with its KFC line known as KFC eleven. McDonald’s the biggest burger chain in the world is testing a build your own burger idea in California.
Some chains cannot offer the type of experience in dining that has become popularized by Chipotle. The traditional ovens at Pizza Hut, for example, take up to 10 minutes to cook a pizza. By comparison, new chains such as Blaze Pizza can cook a pizza in two to three minutes.
