When the pizza craze started sweeping the nation in the late 1950s, two young college students, attending the University of Wichita at the time, opened the first Pizza Hut restaurant on June 15, 1958.
Brothers Frank and Dan Carney had been approached by the owner of a small building at the corner of Kellogg and Bluff, who wanted a nice neighborhood business to locate there and she had read a November 1957 Saturday Evening Post article about the pizza craze.
The building's structure influenced the name of what would become a well-known international chain. The building had a sign that would only accommodate nine characters. The brothers wanted to use "Pizza" in the name and that left room for only three more letters. A family member suggested that the building looked like a hut — and Pizza Hut was born.
The first Pizza Hut building was moved to the Wichita State University campus to serve as a symbol and reminder to WSU students that young individuals through hard work and initiative can rise from modest beginnings to positions of leadership and success. It was dedicated on campus September 11, 1986. -WSU campus tour
Pizza, my favorite food. Pizza Hut, my favorite pizza restaurant. Started with two college students and an idea, just like Apple and Microsoft and Facebook! Started here in Wichita and is still going strong, way to go guys!
