Pizza Hut has made its return to the Briggs Chaney Shopping Center, opening a new location at 13884 Old Columbia Pike. This marks a comeback for the pizza chain, which previously operated a larger, standalone restaurant in the same shopping center before closing in 2017. That building was later demolished, and a Popeyes restaurant was built in its place, opening in 2021.
The new Pizza Hut is a more compact version compared to the traditional locations of the past, with a focus solely on carryout and delivery services. This shift aligns with a trend seen in other recently opened Pizza Hut locations in Germantown, Rockville, and Silver Spring, all of which follow a similar model.
Despite the changes, many of these new Pizza Hut restaurants retain a touch of nostalgia with retro lamps reminiscent of the chain’s 1980s style. In September 2021, David Gibbs, CEO of Pizza Hut’s parent company Yum Brands, told investors that they had closed many underperforming dine-in locations in the U.S. over the past 18 months. He emphasized that the current portfolio consists of strong, long-term locations.
