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Is Pizza Hut’s new value menu really saving us money?
June 22nd, 2009, 10:30 am · 31 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
updated 4 p.m. to add comment from Pizza Hut
Pizza Mia. Each one-topping medium will sell for $5.99
Taco Bell has its Why Pay More Menu. Now its sister fast-food brand, Pizza Hut, is introducing a “Big Eat Tiny Price Menu,” where items cost $5 or $5.99.
“We take generous portions of great tasting Pizza Hut favorites at a price that’s far less than you’d expect,” said Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut Chief Marketing Officer.
The Big Eat Tiny Price Menu is essentially a new value menu for the chain. But are these prices really offering consumers a discount? Take a look:
Stuffed Pizza Rolls: Stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, the rolls come with marinara or ranch dipping sauce. Four Stuffed Pizza Rolls are $5.
The new P'zone was advertised as $5 in late May.
P’Zone pizza: Filled with more than a pound of your favorite toppings, the P’Zone pizza is folded over and baked Calzone-style. Choices: meaty, classic or pepperoni fillings with cheese. Accompanied by marinara dipping sauce, the P’Zone cost $5.99. (Note: When this new menu item debuted last month, Pizza Hut said it would cost $5. So, in my book, this is really a price increase.)
Pizza Mia pizza: Pizza Mia is a one-topping medium pizza for $5.99. (Note: Once again, is this really a deal? Last year, Pizza Hut offered the Pizza Mia special – three pizzas for $5. So is this really a better deal?)
Personal PANormous Pizza: The one-topping Personal PANormous Pizza is four slices of Pan Pizza. Starting at $5, with additional cost for additional toppings.
My take: As I noted in italics above, I’m not sure these new deals are saving me money. In fact, Pizza Hut, whose parent company is Yum Brands, seems to be using this new Value Menu to hide a few price increases. I’ve asked Pizza Hut reps to explain. So far, I have not heard back.(4 pm update w/ response, below)
Here’s what Pizza Hut spokesman Chris Fuller said about the pricing:
“These are indeed value prices. The P’Zone was offered last month for a limited time at $5.00 (Pepperoni only; Classic and Meaty were $5.99). Now, all three are offered at $5.99, which is a decrease from last year’s $6.99 prices. The price structure on our value pizza, Pizza Mia is the same
($5.99 each or 3 for $5 each).”
Tell us: What do you think about the Big Eat Tiny Price menu? Deal or no deal?
Related stories:
- For more information on restaurant menu changes, bookmark my New on the Menu section, found to the right of this blog.
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Not worth it Pizza Hut, I am on to your shell game. I would rather go to Little Ceasars. One whole one topping pizza for $5. You would be surprised how “not bad” it is. Always hot and ready to go too.
Little Caesar’s is the White Castle of pizza: quite simply one of the worst meal experiences I’ve ever had. It makes eating `za at Chuck E. Cheese seem like dining at a four-star restaurant.
omg lol!!!
The “White Castle” of pizza? Whenever I hear White Castle used, it is done so favorably. So, your comment is ambiguous, in that I am uncertain whether you mean to pay a compliment or an insult.
r u kidding? Litttle Ceasers is gross! They were so good back in the early 90s but I don’t know what happened. I’d rather buy a couple of frozen pizza’s than eat that stuff! As far as pizza places,Papa Johns is good @ 5.99 but is bad because you can only get that price at certain locations. Nancy is there a reason for this?
Pizza Hut is not longer even on my radar. I’ve had better from Dominos, and I HATE Dominos!
My #1 problem is the Pan pizzas are doughy and not longer fried. They changed the recipe to speed up cooking times, and the result is bland wonderbread with a thin fried edge, and barely warm center. YUCK!
It makes more sense to buy a few personal pan pizzas from Taco Bell drive through, since it’s more likely to be cooked all the way through, and tastes the same as from a “real” pizza hut (cheap, compromised recipe for speed).
Besides, who wants to blow over 2000 calories on mediocre pizza? When splurging, splurge on something well made!
If I want a real pizza, I’ll take small shop or Nick’s Pizza in Costa Mesa, or a more quality oriented chain like Z-Pizza.
Nick’s … mmmmmmmmmm
— best pizza in Orange County!!
No deal. All marketing here for “The Hut,” or whatever we call them now.
It’s Li;’ caesars for me!
Hey Pizza Hut- Here’s an idea: Drop the prices of your pizza’s..you know, the ones that sell..Meat Lovers, combo…etc. Just drop the prices on what you used to be all about..Pizza. These little “deal” meals you are introducing is crap and a waste of money. At one time many, many years ago you used to have a decent pan pizza..now it’s pure garbage and no quality at all….
Sunday go Hungry.
I’m telling you Sunday go Hungry. I used to have the same opinion. All of this pizza is bad but Ceasars is just about as good as Pizza Hut nowadays. I dare you to go try it. Way better than chuck e cheese. Chuck e Cheese isn’t even pizza, its something else.
If the Pa’zones are $5.99 why are they advertising them for $5.00 on TV?
Both Pizza Huts by me closed. Even when they were there they were bad.
When we want a quick fast easy pizza we hit Pronto Pizza - $5.50 for large one topping. If on the way, Lil’ Caesar’s fits the bill. Both taste good. Sometime I just want the taste of “cheap” pizza. Kids prefer Pronto Pizza over Lil’ Caesar’s overall.
When we want “real” old fashioned pizza we go to Pizzamania.
What they have is NOT a value menu. A value menu is breadsticks and sauce for $1.50, mini-pizza for $1.00, side salad for $1.00 etc.
$5.00 and up does not a value menu make!
Exactly Chris…I’ve been trying to clarify all day ..the “price” info from PIzza Hut. Originally, I got an email saying the $5 P’zone price was introductory, and is normally $6.99 ….(from a year ago.) How can something advertised as new cost $6.99 a year ago? Also, the $5 price was only for one variety of P’zone….I’m still waiting to hear back from them..stay tune.
I’m all about costco’s pizza
I think the P’Zone isn’t a real good deal. They try to make a big deal of it being a pound. A pound isn’t that big, to me atleast.
Little Caesars is great, large pepperoni, crazy bread, 2 liter pepsi, $10.
I like Costco Pizza, It has a better quality with a good taste. Less price on large size, compare to other places.
the pepperoni pzone is $5 and the other two are 5.99. i stopped using pizzahut since i am too lazy to drive and i dont like having to pay a $2.50 delivery fee and then have to tip the driver that can barely speak english. the $3.69 pepperoni pizza from taco bell/pizza hut is a hit and miss as far as decency is concerned.
pizza hut is disgusting. their employees are uncleanly and unappetizing to look at- their locations are outdated, and their pizza has gone downhill. the only redeeming thing on their menu is their deep dish pizza. i’ll take my pizza business elsewhere.
Pronto Pizza, at magnolia/cerritos in anahiem is the best $5 pizza around.
like lil ceasars, always ready and fresh, but with twice the flavor and quality.
and some darn good wings,too.
Try Round Table pizza, quite excellent. I like the King Arthur Supreme. Also the Costco meat pizza that you buy in the store and take home and bake, is excellent. Me and Ed’s in Long Beach is great with old fashion surroundings (long wood tables, player piano, 1960’s decore)
Agreed…Round Table is awesome! I always order from there when I’m looking for quality over price…unfortunately, it’s like $22 for a large which kind of sucks…well worth it though.
I work for Pizza Hut in OC, and let me tell you i do not undertand this new menu.
I’ve made my complains to corporate, but they dont seem to undestand.
I have many problems with this “new” menu.
First of all, the name is totally awful. “Big Eats Tiny Price?” Is this the best our marketing team could come up with?
The Pzone was originally unleased as 6.99. It sold very little, then was reintroduced at 5.99/5.00 for 1 month. It is now at a value price of 5.99 and is not worth it imho, and wont be around for long.
The Pizza Mias ( THE BEST VALUE ON OUR MENU), are 5.99 (BUT STILL 3 @ $5 each also), which are a dollar less than they are usually sold at.
The Stuffed Crust pizzas rolls are good, but not worth the price (4 rolls at $5). Also Pizza Hut has not provided us with reasonable ways to serve these rolls so thus they do not hold well. If your feeling frisky you should try them in store though.
Now is where i have my biggest issue–the “Personal Panormous” You may remember the original Panormous that was released a few months back—a 1 topping 2x pan pizza for $10. Let me tell you this thing was VALUE. It was soon increased to 10.99 and then 12.99 and now does not sell well. This new panormous has NOTHING TO DUE WITH THE OLD ONE. With a name like “personal” panormous, it would seem that this would be 1/2 the original size panormous, or sinmply “1″ of the old pan pizzas. It is not, it is simply a bigger sized personal pan pizza. At $5 there is no reason to get this when you could get a pizza mia at $5 also. Also, this product makes the original personal pan pizza LITERALLY absolete ( It is $4).
So frusterating dealing with terrible marketing.
Stack: this is really great insight. The thing that disturbs me the most is this whole “repackaging/rebranding” of an existing item ….the Pzone.. I’m glad I never wrote about it, when Pizza Hut unleashed it last month as a “New” food product. Then, they turn around and say “it was $6.99″ last year….How could it be new, when it was launched a year ago? Ugh…. Please weigh in more often, Stack..cuz I like the info!!
Good luck with the gig. Nancy
Nice insight, StackDamage!!! Pizza Hut needs to introduce some real deals, you should direct the marketing team to this blog
Stack Damange is so right on. My husband works for Pizza hut too
and the pizzas are only as good as the cook. Our pizzas taste better
than other Pizza huts. Marketing for Pizza hut needs to wake up and
smell the ecomony!
The idea is good but these are not great deals. They also have some commercial with a guy drinking a mountain dew while getting his bill for $5.00 on it. When did the pop/soda become free?
Their are so many better local deals around here for $6 large pizzas,etc… and they taste better then Pizza Hut.
BIG EAT = BIG DIARRHEA
California Pizza Kitchen FTW
Yeah, it’s an old topic, but I always get good pizzas from What a Lot Pizza. They have several locations throughout Orange County. One of their web addresses is walapizza.com . They deliver from some locations.
I think to save money you should eat out of a garbage can. I eat pizza for flavor and the panormous was the best Pizza Hut had. It’s cheap people that got them to stop making it and ruined it for the rest of us.