Pizza Hut to Close 250 Underperforming U.S. Locations

Parent company Yum! Brands cites declining sales at the affected restaurants.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Pizza Hut announced it will close around 250 underperforming restaurants across the United States in the first half of 2026. The closures, which account for about 3% of Pizza Hut's U.S. locations, are part of a strategic review by parent company Yum! Brands to improve the pizza chain's performance in the face of growing competition from other pizza chains.

Why it matters

Pizza Hut has long been a household name in the pizza industry, but the company has struggled to keep up with faster-growing competitors in recent months. These closures reflect the challenges Pizza Hut faces in adapting to a changing market and maintaining its market share.

The details

The affected locations are typically underperforming, meaning they are not generating sufficient sales. Yum! Brands did not provide a list of the specific restaurants that will be closed. The closures will result in job losses for workers at the shuttered locations, though the exact number of affected employees has not been disclosed.

  • The 250 Pizza Hut restaurant closures will occur in the first half of 2026.

The players

Pizza Hut

A well-known pizza chain with a distinctive red roof design and dine-in restaurants.

Yum! Brands

The parent company of Pizza Hut, which is conducting a strategic review of the pizza chain's operations.

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The takeaway

These Pizza Hut closures highlight the challenges facing traditional pizza chains as they compete with newer, faster-growing competitors. The company's parent, Yum! Brands, is taking steps to improve Pizza Hut's performance, but the closures will likely have a significant impact on affected employees and communities.