Pizza Hut to close 250 underperforming restaurants: What this means for NJ

Another big announcement that will rattle anyone in the food service industry. Pizza Hut has recently announced that they plan on shuttering as many as 250 locations as it continues to head into 2026.

The move comes after it's parent company, Yum!, said it would be doing a review of the brand. According to the New York Post, "The 'underperforming' storefronts – which amount to about 3% of Pizza Hut’s US footprint – will be shuttered in the first half of this year." Pizza Hut as a whole has dropped 5% in same store sales last year.

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There's also a possibility that the Pizza Hut brand may get sold off as a result of a strategic planning review.

What about restaurants in New Jersey?

As of now, the company hasn't announced which locations will be impacted. However, based on the timeline of when the closures are expected to take place, this announcement may be coming in the near future.

For New Jersey, it's more of a wait and see game as there's no definitive word yet whether or not restaurants in the Garden State are safe from the chopping block.

Again, it's the underperforming stores that will be shuttered. That means if there are specific Pizza Hut restaurants in the state that tend to be empty more often than not, then they may end up being put on the list.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.