RIP Pizza Hut

RIP Pizza Hut MEANING THAT CHILDHOOD RESTAURANT YOU WERE JUST STARTING TO LOVE AGAIN IS ABOUT TO BE GUTTED. FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO, PIZZA HUT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN MAKING A MASSIVE COMEBACK. FRANCHISEES WERE LEANING INTO THE CLASSIC RED ROOF NOSTALGIA, BRINGING BACK DINE IN RESTAURANTS WITH ARCADE VIBES AND SALAD BARS, AND PEOPLE WERE GENUINELY EXCITED TO GO AGAIN. BUT BEHIND THE SCENES, YUM! BRANDS WAS PLOTTING. Yum Brands sells Pizza Hut for $2.7B, sharpens focus on Taco Bell and KFC Yum Brands is shedding Pizza Hut after a strategic review, allowing the restaurant giant to concentrate on its faster-growing brands Under the transaction, LongRange Capital will acquire Pizza Hut's operations outside mainland China for approximately $1.5 billion, while Yum China will purchase the chain's mainland China business for roughly $1.2 billion. • Pizza Hut: Agreed to acquire the global franchise (excluding Mainland China) from Yum! Brands. • 24 Hour Fitness: Acquired the major fitness chain in partnership with its founder Mark Mastrov. • Batesville Casket Company: Acquired this leading death care products and technology solutions provider. • US Synthetic: Supported this material science and industrial product provider as a standalone business. LongRange Capital +3 EVERYTHING YOU NEED THEY DIDN'T BUY PIZZA HUT BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE BOOK IT PROGRAM OR ARE SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING PIZZA. THEY BOUGHT IT BECAUSE THEY SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO CUT COST, RAISE PRICES, AND INCREASE SHAREHOLDER VALUE. IT'S THE SAME PLAYBOOK WE'VE SEEN FROM RESTAURANTS ALL THE WAY TO HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AT THIS POINT, ONCE AGAIN THAT THERE IS NOTHING AS SACRED AS THE QUARTERLY EARNINGS STATEMENT.