Pizza Hut, India's most loved and trusted pizza brand today announced the landmark launch of its 500th store in the country. Pizza Hut's 500th store was inaugurated in Moga, Punjab by actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood.

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The company also shared that it has ambitious expansion plans to considerably increase its footprint in India in the next five years. Pizza Hut has been on a steady growth trajectory and plans to enter several new cities by the end of 2021 to expand its presence in tier-2 and tier-3 cities alongside metros.

On the business front, Pizza Hut has been focusing on a delivery-centric, digital-first approach in keeping with its R.E.D strategy to be Relevant, Easy, and Distinctive. The brand recently touched the highest delivery sales ever in India - this success was achieved on the back of a seamless digital ordering experience, industry best value deals, and end-to-end contactless services which assured customers of maximum food safety and hygiene.

Elated on the occasion, Merrill Pereyra, Managing Director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent said, "We are truly humbled and grateful for the unwavering love and trust of our customers and thank them for this momentous achievement. We also owe this success to our franchisee partners and the entire extended Pizza Hut family who work passionately and relentlessly every single day for the love of pizza. We are deeply invested in India and look forward to growing the brand aggressively in the next few years."

Pizza Hut opened its first store in 1996 in Bangalore, becoming the first international pizza chain to enter India. The brand has brought several product and service innovations to the country throughout its journey of 25 years and has been voted as the 'Most Trusted Brand' by consumers in independent surveys for over a decade in a row.

Credited with bringing its iconic pan pizza to India, the brand has continually improved the recipe over the years and only uses freshly made dough every single day for a perfectly baked pizza crust that's crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, 100 percent mozzarella cheese, the best quality toppings, and a flavourful, lip-smacking herb-infused sauce. Focused on customer-centric offerings, Pizza Hut has introduced a wide variety of innovative pizzas which are customised to suit the Indian palate like Tandoori Paneer, Veg Kebab Surprise, Chicken Tikka Supreme, and many more.

The brand has further elevated its pan pizzas by introducing scrumptious stuffed crust variants like Veg Kebab, Chicken Seekh Kebab, and Cheese Maxx. With a motto to ensure 'Trust in Every Bite', Pizza Hut follows all regulatory protocols and guidelines issued by the government, WHO, and FSSAI for maximum food hygiene and safety of customers. The pizzas are baked at 240 degrees which eliminates all viruses and is packed in disinfected, tamper-proof boxes. Fresh, sanitized vegetables and FSSAI-licensed ingredients are used in all food preparations to ensure great quality and taste.

Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. and founded in 1958, has become the most recognized pizza restaurant in the world, operating more than 18000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. In June 1996, Pizza Hut made its foray into India with a restaurant in Bangalore, becoming the first international pizza chain to enter India. The restaurant brand offers an exciting menu consisting of its signature pizzas, appetizers, pasta, desserts, and beverages.

Its trademark dining experience has been recognized by Brand Equity to make it the 'Most Trusted Food Service Brand' for 13 years. In 2020, Pizza Hut India was recognised as the 18th best, most trusted brand in the country by Campaign Asia. Pizza Hut was recently felicitated with the title of India's 70 Most Trusted Power Brands. Amongst other awards, Pizza Hut bagged the award for Most Admired Retailer of the year for Digital Marketing Campaign, Best Strategic PR Campaign Award by Times Network, Innovative Use of Technology award by exchange4media Indian Marketing Awards 2017, and Best Omni-channel campaign management and marketing automation at the IAMAI 2018 Awards.

Pizza Hut India also won international accolades at Vega International Awards 2017 for Innovative and Experimental Marketing and the First QSR chain in India to go hyperlocal; and EFFIE Gold in the Foods and Confectionery category in 2018. It was amongst the Top 5 for Best Search Marketing at the Global Landy Awards, New York, 2017. Pizza Hut is the most preferred pizza brand in India, given its freshest, tastiest, and affordable Pizzas.