Top 20 Pizza Hut Competitors & Alternatives in 2024

The top Pizza Hut Competitors are Domino’s Pizza, McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, Subway, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts and others. Competition in the fast food service industry is increasingly becoming stiff every passing day. All the major competitors in this sector are devising new ways that would help them in expanding their operations as a way of reaching out to more clients as well as maximizing their revenue generation efforts. Pizza Hut is one of these top competitors in this sector. It is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants that specializes in offering pizza as takeaway and also delivers to the clients.

Pizza Hut has grown and expanded to the over 19,034 stores worldwide as of 2022. In 2022, Pizza Hut also records an average US sales of $5,487.

Recent statics show that Pizza Hut has increased its total revenues and operating income owing to the fact that its client base has immensely grown in the last decade. It, however, faces fierce competition from some of the established and renowned brands, which include the following;

Top Pizza Hut Competitors

1) Domino’s Pizza

• Product Type: Pizza restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1960
• Founders: Tom Monaghan and James Monaghan
• Headquarters: Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Russell Weiner
• Revenue: $1.025B (June 30, 2023)
• Market cap: $13.73B (September 05, 2023)
• Number of employees: 11,000 (2022)

Domino’s Pizza is apparently one of the direct competitors of Pizza Hut. The reason for this is because they both offer more or less similar product and service in the industry. Domino’s also majors in providing pizza delivery and takeaway to its customers. It demonstrates that it is a strong contender in this particular sector hence it is equally fundamental for it to be considered in any case.

It is spread across in more than 90 international markets.

Domino’s Pizza Inc net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $0.109B. Domino’s Pizza Inc gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $0.405B.

It continuous expansion in the last decade again is a clear indication that the potency of this particular fast food chain of restaurants should never be underestimated. Domino’s Pizza is without a doubt the biggest Pizza Hut Competitors.

2) McDonalds

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: May 15, 1940
• Founders: Richard and Maurice McDonald
• Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Chris Kempczinski
• Revenue: $6.498B (June 30, 2023)
• Number of employees: 150,000 (2022)
• Market Share: 43.8%
• Market cap: $204.74B (September 04, 2023)

Statics in the quick service industry shows that McDonald’s is the leading fast food outlet in the world considering all aspects. It covers quite a considerable percentage of the market share both locally and internationally. Its efforts to expand to more and more towns have also been fortunate making it the leading fast food joint with the highest number of units worldwide.

McDonald’s net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $2.310B. McDonald’s gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $3.731B. McDonald’s operating income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $3.104B.

 McDonald’s also has more than 37,000 restaurants worldwide making it the largest fast-food chain in regards to a number of units globally.

3) KFC

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: September 24, 1952
• Founder: Colonel Harland Sanders
• Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Sabir Sami
• Parent:  Yum! Brands
• Revenue: $2.83B (2022)

One particular element that the Kentucky Fried Chicken, popularly referred to as KFC has perfectly mastered is the art of creating brand awareness. It was founded in Kentucky, but the level at which it has spread its operations to a wide range of towns and cities in different parts of the world is astonishing. KFC has its branches in about 150 countries and 22622 outlets. This makes KFC the 4th largest fast-food restaurant in the world.

As a matter of interest, KFC invests a considerable amount of money in doing its ads that help it much in acquiring new locations for their units and subsequently new customers for its products. It is a strong competitor in the fast food industry and on many occasions often ranked second after McDonald’s in some aspects including sales volume, units, and revenue among others.

4) Starbucks

• Product Type: Coffeehouses
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: March 30, 1971
• Founders: Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl
• Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Howard Schultz.
• Revenue: $9.168B (June 30, 2023)
• Number of employees: 402,000 (2022)
• Market Share: 37%
• Market cap: $112.25B (September 04, 2023)

Starbucks is another quick service competitor based in the US and specializes in offering coffee.  Actually, Starbucks covers over 40% of the US market share as far as coffee chain industry is concerned. It is not a direct Pizza Hut competitor since it majors in serving coffee and other breakfast menu but nonetheless offers competition on the basis of market share and control of the industry.

Starbucks net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $1.142B. Starbucks gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $6.304B. The company is ranked 120th on the Fortune 500 and 303rd on the Forbes Global 2000 as of 2022.

Starbucks has a total assets worth of about $28.733B, which clearly illustrates how big its muscles are in the industry. Starbucks also invests handsomely in ads hence making it easy for its brand visibility to increase in many parts of the world.

5) Subway

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: August 16, 1965
• Founder: Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck
• Headquarters: Milford, Connecticut, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: John Chidsey
• Number of employees: 410,000(2022)

Subway is apparently the largest QSR sandwich in the US. It has continually expanded since its inception to become a significant competitor in the quick service sector.  In 2021, Subway generated around $9.4 billion in sales in the US alone.

Privately owned, Subway has close to 37,000 locations in over 100 countries as at 2023.

This is attributed to several facts that it has been consistent in creating its brand awareness through ads. Its number of store especially in the foreign market has also been increasing steadily thus putting it in a better place as a noteworthy competitor in this industry.

6) Burger King

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: July 2, 1954
• Founders: James McLamore and David Edgerton
• Headquarters: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Daniel Schwartz
• Revenue: $1.9B (2022)
• Number of employees: 150,000 (2022)
• Brand Value: $7.13 billion (2022)
• Parent: Restaurant Brands International

Burger King is another competitor in the fast food service industry that has come out strongly to create a solid foundation. It has progressively grown to become a famous fast food joint that serves burger both in the US and global market. As of the end of 2022, the worldwide revenue for this particular company was approximately $1.9 billion making it among the top-ranked in the market.

The company also spends a relatively vast amount of money every year as a way of establishing more and more locations for eventual increased revenue and expansion. Burger has  over 18,700 locations worldwide as of 2022 serving in around 100 countries. It is currently estimated that 90% of Burger King stores are owned and operated by independent franchisees. Burger King has continued to expand its menu and brand and a brand value of more than 7.13 billion dollars in 2022 highlights some of the company’s success.

7) Dunkin Donuts

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1950
• Founder: Bill Rosenberg
• Headquarters: Canton, Massachusetts, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: David Hoffman
• Number of employees: 200,000
• Market capitalization: $8.77 Billion (August 2023)

Dunkin Donuts is also another strong competitor in this quick-service industry that specializes in offering donuts and coffee. It has also become among the top competitors in this sector by virtue of its sales volume, which has increased in the recent past. This particular company has opened a wide range of stores in American towns and cities as well as other parts of Europe.

With over 3,100 stores in over 30 countries outside of the US, Dunkin’ Donuts has been serving loyal customers around the world for over 60 years. There are 9,461 Dunkin Donuts locations in the United States as of July 25, 2023.

Many people are associating with it since it not only serves coffee but also offers breakfast meals, cold and hot beverages and an array of baked goods. It is thus a strong competitor to watch out in this industry.

8) Taco Bell

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: March 21, 1962
• Founder: Glen Bell
• Headquarters: Irvine, California, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Sean Tresvant
• Revenue:  $14.653 billion (2022)
• Parent: Yum! Brands worldwide outside of China, Yum China within China

People from different walks of life have a preference for the ideal type of food to eat at varied times. It is this particular idea that Taco Bell capitalized on and chose to specialize in serving Mexican dishes. So far, it has succeeded vehemently in the industry going by a wide range of stores that it is opening as well as the amount of revenue collected every given financial year.

Mexican inspired quick service chain Taco Bell operated a total of 8,218 restaurants in 32 different countries worldwide in 2022.

Taco Bell has severally been ranked in different years as the leading fast-food outlet in the US, which apparently demonstrates that it is a big brand worth watching out. Its net worth has also increased significantly in the last decade.

9) Chipotle

• Product Type: Fast casual restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: July 13, 1993
• Founder: Steve Ells
• Headquarters: Newport Beach, California, United States
• Area served: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Mexico
• Current CEO: Brian Niccol
• Revenue: $0.342B (June 30, 2023)
• Market cap: $53.48B (September 04, 2023)
• Number of employees: 104,958(2022)

Similar to Taco Bell, Chipotle also identified a gap that was left in the fast service industry and took advantage of it to make hay. Since its establishment, it has continuously served its customers with a wide range of Mexican dishes including tacos, burritos and other meat and vegetarian varieties.

Chipotle had over 3,200 restaurants as of March 31, 2023, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. There are 3,236 Chipotle restaurants in the United States as of August 16, 2023.

As at 2023, Chipotle’s revenue was $0.342B while it had assets worth  $7.552B with a net income of $0.342B in the same year.

Chipotle has also expanded and has established quite a number of its stores in major cities across the world. What that implies is that it tries to reach out to its potential customers in some of the areas that the demand for their products may be necessary. As such, Chipotle is also regarded as one of the principal competitors in this industry.

10) Wendy’s

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: November 15, 1969
• Founder: Dave Thomas
• Headquarters: Dublin, Ohio, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Todd Penegor
• Revenue: $562 million (June 30, 2023)
  
• Number of employees: 14,500 (2022)
• Market Capitalization: $4.51B (August 2023)
• Parent: The Wendy’s Company

Wendy’s is the largest hamburger seller in the world behind McDonald’s and Burger King as at 2023. Headquartered in Ohio, USA, Wendy’s has 6,500 restaurants currently in operation in the United States and 29 countries and U.S. territories worldwide selling its products which include salads, frozen dessert, French fries, hamburgers, breakfast sandwich and chicken sandwich among several other products. Wendy’s own more than 100 quick service restaurants in Florida alone. The company was formed in 1969 by Dave Thomas.

Wendy’s started as a small quick-service restaurant in Ohio. However, it is the sheer determination which the founder had that drove it to where it currently stands. Its upsurge in the American market happened so fast, and within the shortest time possible it had dominated the area.

Wendy’s revenue as at 2023 stood at about 562 million dollars with a net income of over 60 million dollars.

Wendy’s have over the past served a wide range of fast food dishes including burgers, baked products, ice and hot beverages and fries among others. This array of products served is one of the elements that has made it possible for the brand to grow and become popular in different parts of the country and region as a whole.

11) Tim Horton’s

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: May 17, 1964
• Founders: Tim Horton and Ron Joyce
• Headquarters: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
• Area served: Canada and the United States
• Current CEO: José Cil
• Revenue: 2.63 billion U.S. dollars  (2022)
• Net sales: US$2 billion (Q2, 2023)
• Number of employees: over 100,000
• Parent: Wendy’s (1995–2006) and Restaurant Brands International (2014–present)

It is an open fact that Tim Horton’s has made a name as the leading quick service restaurant chain serves coffee in Canada. What is nonetheless, little known about this success is that several businesses dealing with other competitors have played major roles in ensuring that the dominance of this particular company in this sector become a reality.

Tim Horton’s is the largest fast-food restaurant chain in Canada with more than 5000 outlets worldwide as at 2023 in 50 countries. It serves donuts and coffee. Its revenue as of 2022 was 2.63 billion dollars. Tim Hortons is Canada’s fifth most valuable brand.

The amount of money invested in creating brand awareness for this company every year is also significant and has played a role too in ensuring that the brand is marketed efficiently and acquire a new customer base. Tim Horton’s therefore still remains a key player in the industry primarily in the Canadian market, where it apparently enjoys a market share of almost 50%.

12) Papa John’s Pizza

• Product Type: Pizza restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1984
• Founder: John Schnatter
• Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Robert Lynch
• Revenue: $515 million (June 30, 2023)
• Number of employees:  12,000 (2022)

One aspect that makes Papa John’s Pizza a worthy competitor in the quick service industry is the fact that it has been consistent with delivering quality service to the customers. What we got to understand is that customer loyalty can on many occasion help drive a brand.

As at 2023, its revenue is 515 billion dollars with over 12,000 employees working in the more than 5,706 branches that it operated. Papa John’s is the fourth largest pizza delivery restaurant chain in the United States.

And for that matter, it is what happens to Papa John’s Pizza, which ultimately makes it a strong competitor in the quick-service industry. Papa John’s Pizza kind of approach to serving its customers is innovative, and it has seen it expand to different locations not only in the US but also in other international markets.

13) PizzaExpress

• Product Type: Pizza Restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1965
• Founder: Peter Boizot
• Headquarters: Uxbridge, United Kingdom
• Area served: United Kingdom, Singapore and Saudi Arabia
• Current CEO: Jinlong Wang

PizzaExpress is a multinational pizza restaurant chain that was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot. The chain has over 470 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 100 overseas in Europe, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. PizzaExpress specializes primarily in handmade pizza in the traditional Italian style.

PizzaExpress also offers vegan options. The chain has a detailed management mode to neatly organize the small culinary. The company reported turnover increased to £322,907,000 for the year ending 2 January 2022 compared with £237,878,000 the previous year.

14) Olive Garden

• Product Type: Casual dining restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: December 13, 1982
• Founder: General Mills
• Headquarters: Orlando, Florida, United States
• Area served: United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
• Current CEO: Duncan Holaday
• Revenue:4.5 billion U.S. dollars (2022)

Olive Garden is a well-known American casual dining restaurant chain that specializes in Italian-American cuisine. The restaurant is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in Orange County, Florida. Olive Garden imports six types of cheeses from Italy, and customers can’t get enough. The two most popular dishes ordered at Olive Garden are the Tour of Italy and the Chicken Alfredo.

In summary, Olive Garden is a popular Italian-American restaurant chain that offers a welcoming atmosphere, excellent service, and delicious food at reasonable prices. Olive Garden has a culinary institute in Italy, where chefs learn how to make classic Italian dishes, and the trip serves as inspiration for the Olive Garden menu.

Olive Garden’s U.S. sales reached approximately 4.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, up from 3.59 billion in 2021. As of 2022, Olive Garden restaurants accounted for $9.63 billion in revenue of its parent, Darden.

15) Little Caesars

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: May 8, 1959
• Founders: Mike Ilitch and Marian Ilitch
• Headquarters: Detroit, Michigan, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: David Scrivano

Little Caesars is a pizza chain that was founded in 1959 by Mike and Marian Ilitch in Detroit, Michigan. Little Caesars Pizza has locations in 27 countries and territories across the globe. Little Caesars is known for its “Hot-N-Ready” pizzas, which are pre-made and ready to go, making it a popular choice for those who want a quick and easy meal.  Overall, Little Caesars is a convenient and affordable option for those looking for a quick and tasty meal.

As of March 28, 2022, Little Caesars had 4,181 units globally, around 10% or so of which are company-owned, according to the chain’s 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document

16) Chuck E. Cheese

• Product Type: Family entertainment centers
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1977
• Founder: Nolan Bushnell
• Headquarters: Irving, Texas, United States
• Area served: United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Asia
• Current CEO: Tom Leverton

Chuck E. Cheese is an American children’s family entertainment center chain founded in 1977 by Atari’s co-founder Nolan Bushnell. The headquarters is located in Irving, Texas, and each location features arcade games, amusement rides, and musical shows in addition to serving pizza and other food items.

The restaurant’s mascot, whose full name was Charles Entertainment Cheese, was an instant hit with children. The original costume for Chuck E. Cheese was an old-fashioned vest and bowler hat. John Widelock was the first employee to serve as the voice of Chuck E. Cheese. He voiced the character until 1983, when Scott Wilson took over the job. The Chuck E. Cheese franchise evokes thoughts of entertainment through arcade games or songs performed by an animatronic mouse. In the restaurant, however, Chuck E. Cheese is known for its pizza.

As of August 2023, Chuck E. Cheese operates 568 corporate and franchised locations, as well as 122 Peter Piper Pizza restaurants. They are located in 47 states across the United States and in 17 countries and territories around the world.

17) Arby’s

• Product Type: Fast food restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: July 23, 1964
• Founders: Forrest Raffel and Leroy Raffel
• Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Current CEO: Paul Brown
• Number of employees: 80,000 employees (2022)

Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. is the franchisor of the Arby’s Brand and is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Arby’s, founded in 1964, is the second-largest sandwich restaurant brand in the world with more than 3,500 restaurants in nine countries.

The company’s headquarters are located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Arby’s is the flagship property of Inspire Brands, the renamed Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (ARG). Arby’s has locations in six countries outside the United States: Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and South Korea.

Arby’s was founded in 1964 by Leroy and Forrest Raffel, who named the chain after themselves, R.B. Arby’s is known for its slow-roasted roast beef, turkey, and premium Angus beef sandwiches, sliced fresh every day.

Arby’s is one of the most popular restaurant franchises in the US: they had over 3,400 restaurants across the US in 2022. Arby’s annual sales in 2022 was $4.5 billion. Arby’s has restaurants in 8 countries.

18) Jet’s Pizza

• Product Type: Pizza Restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1978
• Founders: Eugene and John Jetts
• Headquarters: Sterling Heights, Michigan, United States
• Area served: United States
• Current CEO: John Jetts
• Revenue: US$510 million (2022)
• Number of employees: 16,000 (2023)

Jet’s Pizza is a popular pizza chain with hundreds of locations in 19 states across the United States. The chain is known for its quality ingredients and delicious pizza, wings, and salads. Jet’s Pizza was founded in 1978 by Eugene Jetts, who was on his way to buy a new home when his passion for pizza took over. The pizza chain’s signature dish is the Detroit-style pizza, which is characterized by a light, airy center loaded with toppings, surrounded by caramelized cheese and a crispy, square, golden crust. Jet’s Pizza also offers a variety of sauces, including its famous pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes, salt, naturally derived citric acid, water, sugar, salt, oregano, garlic, and black pepper.

In addition to its signature pizza, Jet’s Pizza also offers wings and salads. Customers can choose from a variety of wing flavors, including plain, BBQ, honey BBQ, sweet red chili, mild buffalo, and hot. The pizza chain also offers a variety of salads, including Caesar, garden, antipasto, and Greek. Jet’s Pizza is committed to using quality ingredients in all of its dishes, and its menu is designed to cater to a variety of tastes and dietary needs. Whether you’re in the mood for pizza, wings, or a salad, Jet’s Pizza has something for everyone.

Revenue of Jet’s Pizza as of 2022 is US$510 million. Number of employees as of 2023 is 16,000. Jet’s pizza is present in 412 locations.

19) Papa Murphy’s

• Product Type: Pizza restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1981
• Founders: Robert Graham and Terry Collins
• Headquarters: Vancouver, Washington, United States
• Area served: United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates
• Current CEO: John Barr

Papa Murphy’s is a take-and-bake pizza chain that prides itself on using fresh ingredients and providing excellent customer service. Their menu offers a variety of pizza options, including classic favorites like pepperoni and sausage, as well as unique specialty pizzas like the Gourmet Vegetarian and the Chicken Garlic.

With locations across the United States, Papa Murphy’s is a popular choice for families and individuals looking for a convenient and delicious meal. Their commitment to using fresh ingredients and providing excellent customer service has earned them a loyal following, and their take-and-bake model allows customers to enjoy hot, fresh pizza in the comfort of their own homes.

20) California Pizza Kitchen

• Product Type: Pizza restaurants
• Industry: Foodservice
• Founded date: 1985
• Founders: Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax
• Headquarters: Costa Mesa, California, United States
• Area served: United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Philippines, South Korea, and Middle East
• Current CEO: Mark J. Shamis

California Pizza Kitchen is a casual dining chain that was founded by two lawyers, Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield, who were looking for a new career path. The chain is credited with introducing the rest of the country to pizzas topped with things other than sausage, cheese, and pepperoni. Today, the chain has more than 250 locations across the US and Asia.

The chain also offers gift cards that can be used at over 204 participating California Pizza Kitchen locations across the US. The chain’s core guest is sophisticated, and the restaurant has been upgrading its locations to create a more rustic ambiance and a brand new menu that includes items beyond pizza, like cocktails.

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