Pizza Hut New Zealand is set to revive its iconic all-you-can-eat buffet for a four-day event to commemorate the brand's 50th anniversary.
The "Pop-up Hut" will feature unlimited pizza, a salad bar, soft drinks and a dessert bar, including soft-serve ice cream and toppings. The celebration will take place at the City Works Depot in central Auckland, with lunch and dinner sessions from 26 to 29 September 2024, as reported in the New Zealand Herald.
Tickets for the event cost from NZ$30 ($18.57) per person and are limited in availability. Reservations can be made from 8am on 16 September at thehut.resos.com.
Restaurant Brands NZ Ltd CEO Arif Khan expressed the significance of the buffet to New Zealanders: "We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our 50th birthday and raise funds for our charity partner, Hato Hone St John, at the same time."
The first Pizza Hut in the country opened in Auckland’s New Lynn in September 1974, and since then, the chain has expanded to 135 stores across the country.
Khan continued: "This milestone is a testament to our loyal customers and the Pizza Hut team members over the years – we’re looking forward to celebrating with them." Proceeds from the Pop-up Hut will be donated to Hato Hone St John.
The 50th-anniversary celebrations will extend to all Pizza Hut stores in New Zealand, with the introduction of limited-edition retro products, including an Apple Crumble Pizza and various other special pizzas, available nationwide for a limited period.
The last remaining dine-in Pizza Hut restaurant in New Lynn, which was also the first to open in the country, operated for 41 years and closed in 2016.
The chain, known for its buffet-style serving of pizza, pasta, salads and desserts, shifted away from this model in the 2010s.
Owned by Restaurant Brands, which also operates KFC, Carl’s Jr and Starbucks, Pizza Hut continues to innovate, as seen with Pizza Hut Australia's recent menu update featuring a new loaded garlic bread range, allowing customers to top their garlic bread with pizza toppings.
