As a kid in the '90s, there was nothing quite like dining in at the local Pizza Hut. While the chain is best known today for delivery, there was a beautiful period in time where it was more fun going to the restaurant than having their pizza brought to you. Recently, these nostalgic memories surfaced as social media users shared pictures and stories of their times at Pizza Hut. These are the best photos of Pizza Hut from the '90s that you have to see!
The Classic '90s Pizza Diner
Originally founded in 1958, Pizza Hut was sold to Pepsi in 1977 and gained popularity beyond its creators' wildest imaginations in the '90s. Today, as we become a more nostalgic culture than ever before, adults who grew up then have turned to the internet to relive their best memories.
Whether it was playing at the Pizza Hut arcade, or refilling their ridiculous half-gallon soda thermos, something about Pizza Hut in the '90s just cannot be replicated today.
The King Of Pan Pizzas
The '90s Pizza Hut revival tour began with Twitter user @Super70sSports, who posted the picture seen, with the caption:
"Remember when Pizza Hut pan pizzas were basically a [word removed] culinary delicacy? They'd bring them out in a real [word removed] skillet that was piping at about 700 degrees Fahrenheit right as your third song kicked in on the jukebox after you’d played a game of Galaga. We were kings."
An Honest Attempt To Bring Back A Classic
One of the first responses to the post was from @coreyginsberg, who revealed that he has been making Pizza Hut pan style pizzas at home in honor of his beloved food. "Oh I remember. I remember well and the pan pie will never be forgotten in my house... Ever."
As you can see, his attempt doesn't look exactly the same as the food chain's version, but it still looks pretty tasty. Maybe Pizza Hut should hire him as a food consultant.
Lighting Was Essential
Another user shared this photo, explaining, "Sitting under these lights with your hot pizza and the cold sodas in those red cups...good times." Honestly, was there a better time to be alive than in the '90s?
The lighting, cold soda, red cups, and hot pizza weren't the only things Pizza Hut had going for it. It had brand power. It had pizza in the name! And it had a buffet, but we'll get to that later.
Rewards For Reading
Proving that pizza could be used for good in the '90s, Pizza Hut used to reward readers with their "BOOK IT!" pins. Thanks to the program, if you read enough books, you were rewarded with Pizza Hut.
Surprisingly, the BOOK IT! Program responded to the original Twitter thread, "If this thread is taking you back to a simpler time, a time when you knew finishing a book meant free Pizza Hut pizza, BOOK IT! is still around! AND we just launched a new summer program this month."
Is It Even A Pizza Hut Without A Checkerboard Tablecloth?
One of the defining features of Pizza Hut in the '90s was the red checkered tablecloth. When you walked through the door, you knew you were home. The tablecloths were so loved, that pictures of them were included with several responses.
One of the big takeaways from photos like these is that current children growing up on Pizza Hut will never get the same experience that so many adults cherish today.
You Can't Beat The X-Men
Sure, McDonald's had their own toy line that you could get with your kids' meal, but they didn't have the X-Men. In the '90s, the animated X-Men series was one of the most popular Saturday morning cartoons, and Pizza Hut took full advantage.
By playing your cards right, you could win everything from X-Men comics to cups and other fun toys. And don't forget, the Hut didn't just team up with the Marvel property!
The Red Cups!
For some reason, soda always tasted better coming out of a red cup while dining-in at Pizza Hut. Did the red plastic keep the fizzy beverage cold longer? We don't know, but a scientific study should probably be done.
Of course, these cups are also remembered because, as @BoneJarvis puts it, "And your parents let you drink gallon of Pepsi out of one of these bad boys. Good times, good times..."
The Magical Pizza Hut Pitcher
While the kids drank gallons of soda, ate pounds of pizza, and played at the Pizza Hut arcade, their parents could sit back and enjoy a few drinks of their own.
Going to dine-in at Pizza Hut in the '90s was truly a win-win situation for families of all sizes. The kids got to eat until they were stuffed, and parents got to blow off a little steam in the process.
The Monster Movie Lineup To "Dine" For
Everyone loves a good collectible cup, and Pizza Hut brought the heat with these Universal Movie monster cups. You could get them when you got a personal pan pizza, and you just had to collect them all.
Reminiscing about the merchandise, @StuartGreen2018 wrote, "I remember the Universal Monsters promos with the Personal Pan Pizza boxes and cups that @PizzaHut did. I wish more fast food restaurants still made cool stuff like these."
Another View Of The Lights
It may have been the '90s, but sometimes it felt like going to Pizza Hut was like taking a trip back to the '70s. Just imagine if social media existed in 1999 and people could share their memories from Pizza Hut in 1977!
If you visit a Pizza Hut today, you sadly won't be greeted by decor from another time period. You probably won't even be able to dine-in for a home-cooked meal.
Too Much Pizza To Handle
Sometimes, going out to Pizza Hut to dine-in just wasn't an option. Luckily, back in the '90s, the chain had you covered. Why get a boring old everyday pizza delivered when you could get the Bigfoot pizza instead?
Sold for only a few years in the decade, the Bigfoot measured two square feet and was cut into 21 slices. It was advertised as being perfect for parties, but it was also perfect for hungry kids!
The Soda Necessity
If you don't remember this refillable half-gallon Pizza Hut thermos, did you even have a childhood in the '90s? These epic jugs allowed customers a soda cheat code they could never get away with today.
The refillable thermos came in multiple color schemes, but always had that classic Pizza Hut logo painted on it. When you carried this beast into a restaurant, everyone around knew that you meant business.
Pizza Hut Or Pizza Hat?
Another reason Pizza Hut was so popular in the '90s was how welcoming the dine-in experience truly was. As your car pulled up and you saw the classic red roof, you couldn't help but get excited.
Today, it's hard to find a Pizza Hut with the classic design. A major re-branding by the chain's ownership group focused attention more on delivery then dining in. This, in turn, hurt Pizza Hut's sales.
Bring Back The Priazzo
Technically, the Priazzo pizza from Pizza Hut is a product of the '80s, but when @Super70sSports posted their tweet, this nostalgic deep dish was found in the replies. Essentially a deep pizza, the Priazzo only lasted one year.
While the product was a hit with diners, restaurant workers complained about how difficult it was to make. As a limited item, it was okay, but if it were to be an everyday offering, there would have been problems.
Toys For Everyone
You thought we ran out of cool toys from Pizza Hut's heyday? Not even close! And while the aquatic finger puppets were cool, the one big thing @Jonalope9889 missed are the video games.
There was a glorious time when going to Pizza Hut to dine-in meant coming home with a free Playstation video game demo. Lucky customers walked away with anything from Crash Bandicoot to Spyro the Dragon. Those truly were the days.
Its Always Pizza O'Clock
Just taking one look at the pizza time wall clock brings back memories. If your local Pizza Hut didn't have this neon dream declaring "It's always time for pizza," then you probably weren't at a Pizza Hut at all.
And while you might not see these anymore, you can definitely find them online to buy and bring the nostalgia of the '90s into your home. It also means eating pizza for breakfast is okay!
The Best Memories
Just looking at this photo of the layout inside a Pizza Hut brings back memories. You would be hard-pressed to find one today that looks anything like this nostalgic masterpiece.
This dine-in location has everything you expect. The only thing we notice missing are the checkerboard tablecloths. Thankfully checkers still surround the buffet bar that's been perfectly placed to have its delicious smells waft to every corner of the restaurant.
A Different, But Still Perfect, Layout
Here's another classic Pizza Hut layout. This time the buffet bar is positioned near the front of the restaurant. You'll also notice the sign the says, "please wait to be seated."
That's right, there was a time when going to Pizza Hut meant you got the full restaurant experience. You had to check-in and wait to be seated. Then, after sitting down, you would have your order taken. That's definitely not how it works today!
Game Break
While waiting for your pizza, there was nothing better to do at Pizza Hut than head to the arcade section. Your goal, of course, was to set the high score at whatever game was open.
And let's not forget about returning to the game after eating all the pizza and drinking all the soda you could handle. If your parents would have let you, you would have happily live at Pizza Hut.
The Pizza Creature From Your Nightmares
Maybe this one isn't the best Pizza Hut memory. This pizza creature was a part of Pizza Hut's advertising campaign in the '90s, and we guess it must have worked, although we're really not sure why.
If you don't remember, this slice of pizza was a part of the Pizza Head Show that would air during Saturday morning cartoons. The "show" would feature the pizza head getting into precarious situations, oftentimes resulting in him being eaten.
A Different Kind Of Bigfoot
We've already talked about the Bigfoot pizza in a previous slide, but this reddit user provided a different version of the box. Here you get to see how excited Bigfoot is to get to eat the pizza named after him.
When this food behemoth showed up at your day on a Friday night before settling in for TGIF, you knew it was going to be an epic start the weekend.
How Many P'Zones Could You Eat?
Launched in 2002, the P'Zone still found its way into the twitter replies as people reminisced on Pizza Hut's version of a calzone. Filled with varied toppings, it was a mystery to consumers why the chain discontinued the beloved menu item.
Turning a wrong into a right, Pizza Hut reintroduced the P'Zone to their menus in 2019, just before March Madness. We're guessing they sold quite a bit that year!
Will The Big New Yorker Ever Come Back?
Another menu classic that fans have been asking for Pizza Hut to bring back is the Big New Yorker. The massive, New York-style pizza was 30 percent bigger than their large and featured a foldable crust.
In 2019, Pizza Hut actually did bring the item back. The problem was you could only get one if you lived in Hawaii. That's kind of an odd place to bring back one of the chain's most in-demand discontinued items.
Crayons To Keep The Kids Occupied
No dine-in experience for a kid was complete at any restaurant without crayons. After sitting down with the family, Pizza Hut had you covered with these checkered crayons. Time flew by as you colored away and waited for your food.
Like so many other things, you can't draw at Pizza Hut anymore, but if you're really feeling nostalgic, we're sure you can find a pack of these online for a fair price.
The Land Before Time Toys
Any kid who grew up in the '90s knows how big of a deal it was to get one of these Land Before Time toys from Pizza Hut. And if you were really the coolest kid in your class, you found a way to collect them all.
These might have been the hottest toy Pizza Hut had in the '90s. A lot of replies to the viral Twitter thread mentioned them.
Disney-Themed Kids' Meal Boxes
Here's another thing you don't see at any delivery restaurants anymore - themed boxes. In the '90s, it was like a game trying to guess what themed box your Pizza Hut was going to come in.
This person just happened to have a picture of an Aladdin box. The Disney cartoon takes up most of the box, with Pizza Hut only giving itself a small logo in the bottom left corner.
The Best Posters For Your Bedroom
Another incredible gimmick from Pizza Hut in the '90s was the cartoon posters they would give away. Of course, each one had to have a little restaurant logo in the corner, but it's barely noticeable with all the colors of the poster.
This Darkwing Duck poster is one of our favorites. The character made his first appearance in 1991 with his own show, and continued making appearances in Disney cartoons after it ended.
A History Of Pizza Cutters
Not everyone will remember this, but those who do are in for a real treat. One of the things that helped Pizza Hut stand out was their "history of pizza cutters through time" display.
We don't know how accurate the history is here, but growing up in the '90s we also weren't too concerned about that. We just liked looking at all the different kinds of pizza cutters that could have possibly existed.
The Coolest Shades Ever
For our money, the solar shades from Pizza Hut might be the coolest sunglasses ever made. For just two dollars, you could own a futuristic look that every kid would be jealous of.
These shades were part of a promotion Pizza Hut was running with the movie Back to the Future Part II. Today, these are considered a vintage hut collectible and can be found on auction sites for a whole lot more than two bucks.
