Pizza Hut Parent Company Yum Brands Considers Selling Chain
Yum Brands, the parent company of Pizza Hut, announced it is conducting a formal strategic review that could lead to the sale of the pizza chain. The review comes as Pizza Hut struggles with declining U.S. sales and increased market competition.
Key Takeaways
- Yum Brands is exploring strategic options, including a potential sale, for Pizza Hut.
- Pizza Hut’s U.S. sales dropped 7% in the first nine months of 2025.
- The chain operates nearly 20,000 stores globally but faces challenges with outdated dine-in locations.
Global Presence vs. Domestic Struggles
Pizza Hut maintains a strong international footprint with nearly 20,000 stores across 100+ countries. International sales grew 2% in the first nine months of 2025, with China being its second-largest market outside the U.S.
However, nearly half of Pizza Hut’s sales come from the United States, where it operates approximately 6,500 stores. U.S. sales declined 7% during the same period, highlighting the brand’s domestic challenges.
Historical Challenges
The chain has been burdened by large, outdated dine-in restaurants as consumer preferences shifted toward fast pickup and delivery options. In 2020, one of Pizza Hut’s largest franchisees filed for bankruptcy protection and closed 300 stores.
“The Pizza Hut team has been working hard to address business and category challenges; however, Pizza Hut’s performance indicates the need to take additional action to help the brand realise its full value, which may be better executed outside of Yum Brands,” said Yum CEO Chris Turner.
“To truly take advantage of the brand we’ve built and the opportunities ahead, we’ve made the decision to initiate a thorough review of strategic options.”
Market Reaction
Yum Brands has not set a deadline for completing the review and stated it will not provide further comments. Following the announcement, Yum Brands shares rose nearly 7% in morning trading on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
