68-year-old national pizza chain shuttering 250 restaurants

After quietly and abruptly shuttering 4 locations here in Central Ohio, a national pizza chain is closing hundreds more.

Pizza Hut, which first opened in 1958, announced they’d be shuttering 250 “underperforming” locations throughout the nation in the first half of 2026.

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In a February 4th earnings call, Yum! Brands, the parent company of Pizza Hut, announced the closures, saying that 250 is relatively small compared to the 20,000 remaining locations globally. “And it’s the right answer for the brand as we move through the strategic review,” CFO Ranjith Roy said on the call.

Pizza Hut’s sales continue to decline, but Yum! Brands’ other companies, such as Taco Bell and KFC, are consistent.

A list of the locations on the chopping block have yet to be announced, but stay tuned to see if any more are in the Greater Columbus area.

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