Pizza Hut To Test Crazy Idea Of Selling Pizza By The Slice

Realizing that maybe there’s a limit to the appeal of cheese-injected crusts, Pizza Hut’s latest attempt at remaining relevant to consumers is something that many pizzerias have been doing since before most of us were born — selling pizza by the slice.

The AP reports that the Pizza chain will begin testing slice sales this week at two locations — one in York, NE, and the other in Pawtucket, RI. The slices will cost between $2 and $3 and will apparently be pulled from the Hut’s thinner pies, rather than the thick, multilayered pies most associated with the chain.

Many Pizza Huts have long sold small, “personal” pizzas aimed at individual customers and the to-go market, but the idea with the by-the-slice test is to offer something that’s higher quality but doesn’t require sitting down or waiting a long time for the order to be made.

The company also has to compete with newer, higher-tech pizza companies that can provide custom pizzas without the long wait. For example, Chipotle’s new project — upstart chain Pizzeria Locale — claims that its ovens can bake an entire pizza in only two minutes, about four times faster than Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut says the two test locations for the slice sales will have newer ovens that will heat up slices in only a few minutes, but that the existing ovens will continue to be used for the other pizzas.

Additionally, the Nebraska Hut will feature a new design that incorporates salad and pasta bars.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.