Pizza Hut’s Global Expansion (1958-2025)

Описание: Watch the story of Pizza Hut’s expansion unfold across the globe in this animated data visualization — from its first restaurant in 1958 to its worldwide reach by 2025.

This animation uses verified corporate data and historical records to show every country where Pizza Hut first appeared — and where it later withdrew or returned. Each country lights up in red when Pizza Hut enters, and fades to gray when it leaves, revealing the brand’s global footprint through time.

Why Pizza Hut left some countries (briefly):
1. Argentina (1990) — Failed to meet profit goals and compete with Argentina's strong local pizzeria culture.
2. Kuwait (1990) — Operations ceased following the Iraqi invasion and the subsequent Gulf War.
3. Argentina (1998) — A second failed attempt to establish the brand against dominant local competitors.
4. Norway (2000) — Quiet withdrawal, specific reason unknown.
5. Thailand (2001) — Major franchise dispute (the parent company terminated its contract with the local operator).
6. Uruguay (2001) — Quiet withdrawal amid a severe economic downturn in the region.
7. Austria (2003) — Quiet withdrawal, reason unknown.
8. Czechia (2004) — First franchisee failed (the brand later re-entered under a new operator).
9. Hungary (2004) — Similar to Czechia, the initial franchisee operations ceased before a later re-entry.
10. Switzerland (2004) — The Swiss franchisee declared bankruptcy after facing financial problems and failing to find new investors.
11. Colombia (2008) — Quiet withdrawal, reason unknown.
12. South Africa (2008) — The initial "large sit-down dining" restaurant concept failed to gain traction.
13. Denmark (2009) — Struggled with high prices and a market already saturated with local pizzerias.
14. Iceland (2010) — Severe economic impact from the 2008 financial crisis (rising import costs and currency collapse).
15. Yemen (2011) — Closed amid the political instability and supply chain disruptions of the Yemeni Revolution.
16. Nepal (2015) — All outlets shut down indefinitely due to a major labor dispute with local staff over working hours.
17. Colombia (2018) — A second quiet withdrawal before a major re-launch in 2019.
18. Slovakia (2018) — Quiet withdrawal, reason unknown.
19. Zambia (2018) — All three Lusaka outlets were forcibly shut down by city authorities for using expired ingredients.
20. Kazakhstan (2019) — Quiet withdrawal, reason unknown.
21. Venezuela (2019) — Ceased operations due to the national hyperinflation crisis, which destroyed the supply chain.
22. Greece (2020) — All stores closed permanently after the COVID-19 pandemic made the business financially unsustainable.
23. Lebanon (2021) — Exited due to the country's severe economic and currency crisis, making ingredient imports impossible.
24. Saudi Arabia (2021) — Quiet withdrawal, reason unknown.
25. Panama (2022) — The master-franchisee (Franquicias Panameñas) strategically closed Pizza Hut to focus on its KFC and Dairy Queen brands.
26. Russia (2023) — Following the invasion of Ukraine, the franchisee (AmRest) sold the business, and all locations were rebranded to "Pizza H".
27. Bahamas (2024) — The franchisee closed all locations due to consistent financial losses, calling the business "unsustainable."
28. Chile (2025) — The operator (Food Delivery Brands) closed all stores to exit the region and focus on its European business.
29. Maldives (2025) — Outlets closed due to significant business decline linked to widespread consumer boycott campaigns.
30. Turkey (2025) — The master franchisee (İs Gıda) declared bankruptcy and closed 500+ stores amid massive debt and Gaza-related boycotts.