Founded in 1958, Pizza Hut was started by brothers Frank and Dan Carney in Wichita, Kansas. A friend suggested they open a pizza parlor, a rare sight at the time, so the two decided to give it a shot thinking it could be successful. Partnering with John Bender, the Carney brothers borrowed $600 from their mother and rented a building in downtown Wichita. After acquiring secondhand equipment for making pizzas, the first Pizza Hut restaurant was officially opened. To encourage community interest, they gave away pizza on their opening night. In 1959, Pizza Hut was incorporated and the restaurant's first franchise opened in Topeka.
Pizza Hut operates under different restaurant formats, combining family-style dine-in locations with store front delivery and carry out locations in different branches while operating hybrid outlets that offer dine-it, carry-out, and delivery options. A lot of the full-size Pizza Hut locations also feature lunch buffets, while others feature expanded menus and more upscale choices under the "Bistro" name. "The Hut" and "Pizza Hut Express" locations are categorized as fastfood restaurants.
The oldest operating Pizza Hut location in the world is found in Manhattan, Kansas. This branch is situated within the shopping and tavern district of Aggieville close to the Kansas State University. International locations include: Iraq, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, and the UK.