CLICK HERE for a vintage 70's Pizza Hut matchbook from my collection too!
Thursday, February 6, 2020
70's Pizza Hut Glass
Recently read the disappointing news that all Pizza Huts will become "carry-out" only, and pretty much do away with all of their sit-down restaurants and buffets. I mean, it's not my favorite pizza in the world, but it's good enough for the occasional visit and my son likes it. So, time once more to "gather 'round the good stuff" of yesteryear here at AEET with this beautiful 70's Pizza Hut drinking glass that I stumbled upon quite by accident (long story) the other day at a local antique store. This is truly an awesome glass in more ways than one-- it's tall and I super love the tapered waist shape of it, (no resemblance to how you actually feel after eating a bunch of pizza.) But the best part of course is the trifecta of brilliant branding that it displays from my childhood: the very fun original Pizza Hut logo lettering, the original building design illo, and the Pizza Hut Pete mascot serving up the pie just a'like'a mama used to make! He's easily my favorite food mascot ever.
CLICK HERE for a vintage 70's Pizza Hut matchbook from my collection too!
CLICK HERE for a vintage 70's Pizza Hut matchbook from my collection too!
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7 comments:
Great glass with the original style mascot.
I had wondered why my local Pizza Hut closed down, now I know.
I can't say this is a wise business decision or not, but since so many consumers want things home delivered instead of going out to buy them I guess this was inevitable.
Rats. I hadn't heard they were going take-out only. Pizza Hut was my first non-frozen pizza when I was a kid. My older sister used to take my sister and I out to one in Affton, MO. I still have my "Henery Hawk" Pepsi glass I got from there. It may be because it was the only restaurant pizza I'd had up to that point, but in my memory, it seems like it tasted better back then.
I guess I came up in a time of transition for fast food and national chain restaurants. By the mid-seventies, it seems like all of these brands were already testing the waters to branch out into wider competitive spaces. Meanwhile, on their heels, funkier niche restaurants were springing up locally. My earliest memories of fast food: McDonald's had great fries, Burger King had great sandwiches, and Dairy Queen had the best ice cream. The only worthwhile hot dogs, barbecue, grilled cheese, or fish were local. Frankly, pizza too.
Course, I had a hippie nutritionist mom, so I didn't get to eat fast food all that often. So mostly I remember the commercials.
I did grow up occasionally eating Pizza Hut, but it was quickly K.O.ed in my childhood by the one-two punch of delivery and buffet places. I still remember when, first Little Ceaser's and then Papa John's were pretty good pizza. By the end of high school I wouldn't have been caught dead in any of those places. Things happened fast then, too. The day's of their interesting branding had already passed by then. But I do remember the Hut fondly. I can't pretend that I'm not partially to blame for this change; I haven't been inside a Pizza Hut in twenty years. But I recall the sauce they used was really dark red and wasn't afraid to get spicy.
I also like the glass in today's post. I like the way it is patterned after classic German and Czech light lager / pilsner glasses.
I wonder how those were sold/given away. Were they used only for beer maybe? Every Pizza Hut I ever ate in used the classic red Texan brand tumblers for pop.
And yes, Pizza Hut Pete is truly one of the best. My favorite use of him was the plastic hand puppets. Google that if you haven't seen them.
Having pizza at Pizza Hut on a Friday night after a movie with your friends was truly a great part of life. Get a pitcher of Pepsi to make it even better. Now, what do they do, go home and have some horrible, cold pizza delivered so they can all sit there and not talk to each other while staring at their phones?
Seems like I get into a Pizza Hut conversation at least once a month, about what it used to be like vs what it is today. And everyone seems to agree that it just isn't the same anymore. It seriously must've been a gradual change in food ingredients because its like I didn't even notice until it years later. The store visuals on the other hand now, that's been painfully obvious during every rebrand over the last half century.
Back in the 70's I would enjoy going to a local Pizza Hut (Torrance, CA) for their all-you-can-eat buffet and a pitcher of suds. Glorious!
Even if they go out of business, EVERY town will always have a few older, repurposed Hut buildings.
My local one is a 'Cash Money' (home of the Casharoo!) outlet.
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