Soft-serve ice cream is back on the menu when Pizza Hutt brings back its all-you-can-eat buffet for a short time.
Unlimited chips, garlic bread and soft drinks are back on the menu when Pizza Hut brings back the all-you-can-eat buffet for three days to celebrate the chain’s 50th anniversary in New Zealand.
The nostalgic “Pop-up Hut” will bring back the pizza buffet complete with pizza, salad bar and free-flowing soft drinks, as well as the famous dessert bar, with soft-serve ice cream, raspberry jelly, chocolate mousse, hot fudge sauce and a variety of toppings.
The event will be at the City Works Depot in central Auckland, with lunch and dinner sessions running from September 26-29.
Pizza Hut said tickets would start from $30 per person and are limited.
Restaurant Brands chief executive Arif Khan said the Pizza Hut all-you-can-eat experience was a core memory for hundreds of thousands of Kiwis.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our 50th birthday and raise funds for our charity partner, Hato Hone St John, at the same time.”
The first Pizza Hut in New Zealand opened in Auckland’s New Lynn in September 1974 and there are now 135 stores throughout New Zealand.
“This milestone is a testament to our loyal customers and the Pizza Hut team members over the years – we’re looking forward to celebrating with them,” Khan said.
The 50th birthday celebrations will continue through all stores, with limited-edition retro products available nationwide including an Apple Crumble Pizza as well as Ultimate Double Cheesy, Cheesy Bites and Detroit pizzas for a limited time.
The last remaining eat-in restaurant in New Lynn – which closed in 2016 – was also the first of the chain to open in New Zealand in 1974. It had been running for 41 years.
The restaurant chain used to be known for its all-you-can-eat pizza, pasta, salads and desserts but moved away from this model during the 2010s in a bid to keep up with the changing fast-food industry.
Pizza Hut is owned by Restaurant Brands which also operates the KFC, Carl’s Jr and Taco Bellbrands. The company has owned and operated Pizza Hut since 1997 when it took over from Pepsico.