A trip down memory lane when pizzas were no more than A$2

The chain store, famous for its distinctive red roofs, opened its first Australian dine-in restaurant on Punchbowl Rd in Belfield (Sydney) back in 1970. Photo / Supplied

A woman in Australia has unearthed one of the very first Pizza Hut menus from back in the day when small sized pizza were just A$1.05 and large ones as little as A$1.70.

It was way before veganism, dairy-free and gluten-free options were commonplace and instead, the rage was over all-you-can-eat, meat-heavy meals served with a side of beer, immediately followed by a trip to the dessert bar.

While that side of things hasn't change much — the prices sure have — but it was the 1970s, a time when petrol prices averaged 25 cents per litre.

Old Pizza Hut menu posted to Old Shops Australia Facebook account. Photo / via Facebook

Pizza Hut was founded in the US in 1958 when two brothers, Dan and Frank Carney, set up a small store in Wichita, Kansas. The popular chain expanded and Australia opened its first branch in Sydney in 1970. New Zealand's first Pizza Hut opened in 1974 in New Lynn, Auckland.

The NSW woman posted the nostalgic menu to a Facebook group 'Old Shops Australia' showcasing the original dishes.

"The earliest piece of Pizza Hut ephemera we've come across and a true artefact from Australia's popular culinary history," she wrote online.

It came down to the flavours, but a capsicum pizza was just A$1.35, a prawn variety A$1.45, a large onion pizza A$1.95, while anchovy would set you back just A$2.20.

Fast forward to 2018 where a Ham Lovers pizza is A$9.95 or a BBQ Cheeseburger A$13.95.

But, even more impressive was the cost of alcohol with a draught beer costing just 25 cents and a bottle of red wine A$2. For some reason, a bottle of white was 10 cents cheaper, at A$1.90.

The chain store, famous for its distinctive red roofs, opened its first Australian dine-in restaurant on Punchbowl Rd in Belfield (Sydney) back in 1970. It was demolished in May this year, taking with it everyone's childhood memories — for a block of apartments which are yet to be erected.

One of the most memorable items on the menu, according to those who commented on the woman's post of the old menu, was the "Pizza Pete" gingerbread man (10 cents) sold by the store originally.

"As a kid I loved getting a Pizza Pete to take home," one man explained.

Kent Broadhead said anchovy was his fave though he "hated making them when I worked there for a while in the 80s."

Others reminisced about the "Pizza Hut smell" as soon entering the restaurant, while others shared memories of the self-serve freedom of constantly refilling cups of Coca-Cola and loading their cones with vanilla ice cream.

For many it conjures flashbacks of birthday parties, post Saturday sports lunches and creating strategies to tackle the ever popular all-you-can-eat The Works deal.

There was a glimmer of hope when rumours surfaced of possible "all you can eat" comeback, but it didn't happen.

The Belfield site starred a minor role in the 1987 arrest of Arthur Stanley (Neddy) Smith for the stabbing murder of a man at Coogee, when police used the carpark to co-ordinate the stake-out and raid of a home near the restaurant.

Thanks for all the memories, Pizza Hut.