Pizza Hut opens in Tanzania

24 May 2016

In recognition of entering its 100th country, Pizza Hut, a division of Yum! Brands, Inc and the world's largest pizza restaurant company, marked the milestone with a special pizza delivery to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

General manager of Pizza Hut Africa, Randall Blackford, who resides in South Africa, a team of Pizza Hut employees and several professional guides, hiked for six days to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro. Blackford and the team shared a large Pepperoni Pizza at the top of the mountain in celebration of the company’s continued global expansion.

The Pizza Hut team raised R103,663.73 (15 million shillings) for the Msasani Primary School in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania as a way to show their commitment to supporting the communities where they operate. The money will provide desperately needed upgrades to the school for the 1,300 students and provide training for their teachers.

“We are extremely proud to be the first pizza restaurant company to be serving in 100 countries,” said Milind Pant, president, Pizza Hut International. “We are thrilled to bring Pizza Hut to Tanzania and believe there is no better way to celebrate our 100th country milestone than by raising money to support communities in Tanzania.”

…Pizza Hut entered South Africa in September 2014 and it has been a great stepping-stone into the rest of Africa…

Pizza Hut has more than 16,000 restaurants worldwide and 2015 sales totaling over $12 billion and is the first and only pizza restaurant company to have locations in 100 countries. Pizza Hut entered South Africa in September 2014 and it has been a great stepping-stone into the rest of Africa.

Said Blackford: “Tanzania is the eighth country to open their doors in Africa. It is an exciting emerging market and we believe there is great potential for accelerated growth. There are plans to open in more African countries by the end of this year and four more restaurants in Tanzania.”

The new Pizza Hut is in Dar Es Salaam and features a modern design, digital menu boards, a children’s play area and provides seating for 90 people. In addition to Pizza Hut’s international favorites, the menu features popular items that appeal to local taste preferences like the Peri-Peri Chicken, Paneer Vegorama and Tandoori Paneer pizzas.