Yum! Brands Reviews Pizza Hut Sale Amid Plans to Close 250 U.S. Locations

Louisville, Friday, 6 February 2026.
Yum! Brands is actively exploring the divestiture of its Pizza Hut division, signaling a major strategic shift to optimize its portfolio. This review coincides with the planned closure of approximately 250 underperforming U.S. restaurants in the first half of 2026 under the “Hut Forward” initiative. The decision follows a challenging 2025, where Pizza Hut saw a 5% decline in domestic same-store sales, weighing down the parent company’s otherwise strong performance driven by Taco Bell and KFC. Notably, Yum! has excluded Pizza Hut from its 2026 growth guidance, suggesting a committed path toward separating the legacy brand to focus on its higher-growth assets.