The first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Wichita, Kansas, in 1958.
Brothers Dan and Frank Carney borrowed money from their mother to open the first restaurant near Wichita State University. The building's sign had room for only eight letters, so the brothers chose the name Pizza Hut. The compact name became one of the best-known brands in the pizza industry.
Pizza Hut expanded through franchising and developed a recognizable full-service restaurant format before later adding delivery and carryout operations. Its early growth helped establish pizza as a major American restaurant category outside traditional Italian-American communities.
The first location was small and modest, which can make its later international scale seem surprising. The original Wichita connection is also distinct from the chain's corporate history: Pizza Hut was founded in Kansas, while its parent company later became part of larger restaurant groups.