Chicken May Be the Solution to Pizza Hut's Financial Woes

Unexpectedly, chicken — not its namesake product — may save Pizza Hut from economic failure. According to Quartz, a note from RBC Capital Markets indicates that analysts believe Pizza Hut US "will recover on the back of its national chicken roll out." The chain's largest chicken product is its recently launched Wingstreet chicken wings that are offered in a variety of flavors. Sales have been slumping recently for the red-roofed pizza chain. Earlier this month, it was ranked 8 (out of 10) by Consumer Reports when it came to favorite pizza chains.

Turning to chicken to boost sales is not a new idea: Domino's — one of Pizza Hut's largest competitors — launched its Speciality Chicken, a pizza-like item with breaded chicken nuggets as the base earlier this year. USA Today noted in April that of chicken have been up "11% over the past three years," and that Domino's "sells more chicken than anything else besides pizza." This could be great news for Pizza Hut, which has around 7,800 locations nationwide.

· The Key to Pizza Hut's Revival Is Apparently Chicken [Quartz]
· Domino's Adds Chicken Dish with Toppings [USA Today]
· All Pizza Hut Coverage on Eater [-E-]