Split into two types of restaurant-a family dining-style eatery and a fast food concept under the pizza Hut Express brand -the business is as well known for its creative crusts as it is for its pizzas.
Its certainly a household name today,but the idea for the business sprung from much more modest roots,sparked off by an article on pizza in a New York newspaper.
Brothers Dan and Frank Carney were both studying at college in Wichita,Kansas,USA in the 1950s when a friend suggested it would be a good idea to open a pizza parlour .He'd read an article in The New York Post on how the dough-based product was becoming popular on the east coast .Pizza was a rarity at the time and was certainly unheard of in the Kansas region but the enthusiastic brothers decided to give it a go,despite the fact that they didn't have a clue how to make pizza .
They were in part also spurred on by advice from their late father who had told Dan that 'if you ever have a choice ,be in business for yourself ,because you get the satisfaction that you know if you fail or you win,its yours and you don't have somebody over you who's not giving you good opportunities to succeed'.Dan had grown up working in the family grocery store but that was as close as he had come thus far to starting a business until this opportunity presented itself.
Keeping it in the family ,the brothers persuaded their mother to loan them $600(at the time).As they weren't even sure how to make a pizza,they did the next best thing and went in search of someone who did.This led to a partnership with John Bender,a service man who had worked in the pizza industry in Indiana.John came up with the recipe which was slightly modified by Dan and Frank to include 'a handful of this and a handful of that',and the rest of their funds were used to rent premises and buy second hand equipment to make pizzas.
Coming up with the business name was slightly easier .The building had a sign that only allowed for eight letters and a space -adamant that the word 'pizza' would be used ,the brothers had to come up with another word containing only three letters .Dan's wife suggested that the building looked like a hut and the business-and its iconic name -took shape!
Lessons Learnt:
- Sometimes,all you need is to pay attention when someone keeps hitting you with an idea.
- The success of a business is independent of your knowledge of the craft or the business,as long as other key values are in place(.plus,you can learn if you choose,it sure has its added advantage.)
- If you've got a choice,Choose Starting a Business over Being Employed.
- Something in your past ,no matter how little,can be connected to your future
- They sought out an investor to assist with the vision they caught-their mom!.
- They went in search of and made partnership with someone who was good at making pizza.
- They also bought secondhand items just to cut cost and lets just say that's their way of starting small.
- Have supporters around you:People who are not afraid to help you with anything you may need for the business.
image source:paytm and tvnews4u.com
source:How They Started
source:How They Started