Pizza Hut vs Domino’s: Who Makes The Best Chain Pizza?

Pizza Hut vs Domino's, find out which pizza chain really is better than the other.

By Joseph Farago | Published 3 years ago

In the United States, there’s nothing more polarizing than pizza. There’s the constant feud between Chicago’s deep dish versus New York’s large, thin-crust pizza and the regional disputes between integral toppings and ingredients. With so many citizens having such strong opinions on pizza, it’s almost impossible to decide what factors make a genuinely perfect dish.

Both Domino’s and Pizza Hut are longstanding, renowned pizza establishments that have been slinging ‘zas for decades. Just like people’s stubborn viewpoints on pizza-making in general, the same applies to what restaurant chain delivers the best dish. From the ingredients to the crust to even the smell, these two chains have incredibly distinctive outputs that have divided Americans for years.

Though everyone’s opinion on pizza is subjective, could Domino’s or Pizza Hut be the superior brand? Could there be tangible factors that make a restaurant’s cheesy ‘za a better, all-around dish? We’re testing both restaurants’ components, history, and outlook to honestly decide which pizza chain is the better delivery option.

THE DOMINO’S PIZZA DIARIES

Domino’s was started in 1960 by Thomas Monaghan and his brother, James Monaghan. The pair acquired a Ypsilanti, Michigan pizza joint called DomiNick’s, founded by local Dominick Devarti. After a few years, the brother duo began to expand their business and established two more chains in the eastern Michigan area. By the ’80s, the humble pizza shop became an international phenomenon, with stores opening in Canada, the UK, and Japan.

Between 1967 and 1977, Domino’s opened more than 200 shops nationwide. Its rapid success instantly made the pizza shop an American classic, slinging up Italian-American-style pizza with traditional ingredients. Today, it leads the nation in pizza delivery sales, with more than 5,600 restaurants spanning across the United States. Now, Domino’s delivers more than just pizza; oven-baked sandwiches, lava cake, and various pasta dishes have all been added to the menu over the last 15 years. This has pushed Domino’s over the edge as a go-to spot for quick-and-easy Italian fare.

DOUGH THAT DELIGHTS

Domino’s continued success was due to a recipe revamp in 2009. Everything from the crust, to the toppings, to the sauce, was completely reconstructed, throwing away the old recipe for a newer, more flavorful pie. The recipe switch was so impactful that shares of Domino’s stock rose astronomically, beating out powerful tech companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook.

Domino’s commitment to homemade pizza dough is an important quality in its consumer retention. The chain can make its iconic, fluffy dough with only six ingredients (flour, water, sugar, salt, yeast, and oil). The Domino’s workers producing the dough have the process down to a science, knowing exactly what temperature the room should be to make the yeast rise ideally. The undisputed care for the pizza-making process is unparalleled for fast-food chains, which is something that keeps buyers coming back to Domino’s pizza.

THE PROWESS OF PIZZA HUT

Though Domino’s has had unbridled success in the United States, the company definitely has met its match in Pizza Hut. The other American favorite pizza chain, Pizza Hut, began two years earlier than the Monaghan brothers’ initial foray.

Pizza Hut was first established in 1958, founded by another pair of brothers from Wichita, Kansas. The Carney brothers, Dan and Frank, got the idea of opening a pizza shop from a friend, who insisted that it would be a unique venture for the area. With only $600 from their month, the duo got to work opening the first Pizza Hut. The franchise began using secondhand pizza equipment and a rented spot in downtown Wichita. By the following year, Pizza Hut was an incorporated business and had built its first official franchise shop in Topeka.

By 1966, the number of Pizza Hut restaurants grew from two to 145. Two years later, the first Canadian shop was established, turning Pizza Hut into a legitimate, international enterprise. Though the restaurant chain seemed to be relentlessly growing, a tumultuous acquisition process and the founding of the International Pizza Hut Franchise Holders disturbed the company’s sales. The new franchise holder operation, which was meant to acquire 40% of existing stores, was an eight-month venture that stagnated their pizza revenue. This forced the brothers to make a new business plan, a plan that would focus on the quality of the pizza instead of the process of acquiring the best figures and sales.

Pizza Hut started taking off again by investing in quality manufacturers like Ready, Italy, a frozen crust maker, and Sunflower Food Processors. By 1977, Pizza Hut was given an astonishing deal by Pepsi Co., which acquired the chain completely. But it wasn’t until the 80’s that Pizza Hut’s signature deep-dish pizza became a national favorite. The restaurant chain grew its popularity even more with a new method to bake pizza in wide pans that gave the dish a thick, chewy crust.

CRUST YOU CRAVE

Pizza Hut has a few famous crust styles that have captured the attention of pizza enjoyers everywhere. Its signature style, the Pan Crust, is a crust that dates back to the company’s Kansas beginnings. It’s a quintessentially deep-dish pizza with a golden crust and fluffy consistency. To juxtapose the deep dish option, Pizza Hut also serves a Thin and Crispy Crust selection, which has a lighter and flakier crust than its predecessor. But the most outstanding choice, the Cheesy Bite Crust, is what’s enraptured audiences since its inception. The one-of-a-kind crust is a collection of doughy balls filled with cheese, circling the pizza sauce and toppings. You can slice the dish like a regular pizza, or you can rip off the cheesy crust and dip it in marinara sauce as an additional, mouthwatering option.

Our Call…

Though both pizzas are iconic in their own right, Pizza Hut is the superior option for its wide selection of pizza options and pioneering Italian-American fare in the United States. It was the first restaurant chain serving up deep dish pizza and has grown to unyielding, worldwide success. The possibilities for stuffed crusts with cheese or bacon have attracted pizza lovers nationwide. Its commitment to reinventing its signature dishes has kept the company relevant and, most all, delicious. All in all, “No one out pizzas The Hut!”