Pizza Hut passes 9,000 units abroad with Mumbai openingPizza Hut passes 9,000 units abroad with Mumbai opening

Pizza Hut has pushed past 9,000 international units with the opening of new restaurant earlier this month in Mumbai, India, the company said Monday.

The Plano, Texas-based pizza division of Yum! Brands Inc. said the Mumbai restaurant, which opened about two weeks ago, offers delivery as well as a dine-in option in a design with an open kitchen. Pizza Hut has 16,500 restaurants worldwide.

Traditional Mumbai dabbawalas helped deliver

9,000 free pizzas with 9,000th unit’s opening.

Photo: Pizza Hut

International expansion has been a growth area for U.S. restaurant brands. As of Sept. 10, Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Domino’s Pizza Inc. had 8,943 of its 14,434 locations abroad. Louisville, Ky.-based Papa John’s International Inc. had 1,660 of its 5,101 locations abroad in the third quarter ended Sept. 24.

“The opening of the 9,000th International Pizza Hut in Mumbai shows our incredible commitment toward evolving the brand to meet changing consumer preferences for home delivery, carry out or dine-in,” said Unnat Varma, managing director of Pizza Hut’s India subcontinent division, in a statement.

“Pizza Hut has grown stronger in India over the last 20 years,” Varma said, “and we believe our digital-centric delivery and contemporary, open kitchen restaurants will build the next generation of pizza lovers to further reinforce Pizza Hut as the most loved and trusted food service brands in India.”

To celebrate the milestone in true Mumbai style, Pizza Hut executives helped deliver free pizzas to 9,000 customers with the assistance of the iconic dabbawalas of Mumbai, who maintain a 100-year tradition of hot-meal delivery.

Milind Pant, Pizza Hut International president, said the company was focused quality pizza and digital-oriented delivery.

“The continued growth in the Indian market and the love our customers here have for our freshly baked pizzas made Mumbai the perfect place to develop our 9,000th international restaurant,” Pant said. “We are already looking forward to the next phase of our successful journey in India.” 

Pizza Hut, which opened its first India restaurant in 1996 in Bangalore, has more than 300 units in India and operates in more than 100 countries. 

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless