Pizza Hut launches personal-sized pizza foldovers to compete with Papa JohnsPizza Hut launches personal-sized pizza foldovers to compete with Papa Johns

Joanna Fantozzi

Pizza Hut announced Tuesday the launch of Melts: a new menu category for solo diners that looks similar to a pizza quesadilla. They also resemble the very popular Papa Johns Papadias, which launched in Jan. 2020 and have been a revenue-booster for the smaller pizza brand ever since.

The Pizza Hut Melts are available for $6.99 each and come in four varieties, each with a different dipping sauce. They are made with two slices of the brand’s signature thin crust pizza with toppings and cheese sandwiched between. (Here is where the comparison to Papadias diverge, because Papadias are one folded-over slice like a pita pocket, whereas the Melts are two slices sandwiched together).

This is actually the first time the Yum Brands chain has sold slices since a failed experiment in 2014, though this time they look a little different than your traditional slices. The four Melts varieties are:

Yum Brands’ marketing strategy for the new menu category emphasizes that Melts are not meant to be shared and are perfect for a party (or lunch) of one. In fact, in a marketing promotion, Pizza Hut is giving away $100 to 250 guests if they sign a “Melts Disclosure Agreement” and agree not to share images of Pizza Hut Melts to their social media channels to “empower peoples’ decision to go solo” and not share.

"We like to say – pizza is for WE, Melts are for ME because sometimes you want the delicious taste of pizza all for yourself without having to order and share an entire pie," Lindsay Morgan, CMO of Pizza Hut said in a statement. "With Melts, now there's a new way to get the bold flavors of your favorite pizza – or what you might get on your favorite sandwich – just for you, whenever and wherever you want."

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