In Texas, Visit One Of Its Many Old-School Pizza Huts To Feel Like You Stepped Back Into The '90s

Delivery may be the most convenient way to enjoy Pizza Hut, but there was a time when sitting in at the national chain was a glorious experience marked by stained glass lamps, pizza and dessert buffets, and red checkered everything. All the '90s kids know what we mean, and will be floored to learn that if you hitch a ride to certain locations in Texas, you can experience the Hut of yore once again.

While most Pizza Huts have been redesigned for a modern look (and many don't even have seating), you can visit a handful of stores known as "Pizza Hut Classics" that will throw you back in time. You'll see a sign out front with the chain's original logo, plus the iconic "hut" roof and unique windows that every store used to have. Inside, you can sit at the wooden tables and retro red booths you may remember from pizza parties past, and dine on stuffed crust slices and other popular menu items from Pizza Hut under lamplight. You might even spot a jukebox against a wall.

These special Pizza Huts can be found in several U.S. states, but Texas has the most at ten (via The Retrologist on Substack). Texas is also the U.S. state with the highest number of Pizza Hut locations, which might make you assume that some of its older stores simply flew under the radar when it came time to renovate. In reality, these Pizza Hut Classics are a little different.

"Nostalgic" is basically a nice way of saying "old," so you might wonder: Are you going to see scratched floors, ripped-up booth seats, and peeling wallpaper at Pizza Hut Classics? Probably not, as most of these "classic" stores used to be modernized, commonplace Pizza Huts and were newly redesigned to gain their retro look. They've gone through multiple rounds of renovation over the decades just to wind up back at the original aesthetic.

Metal plaques present at each Pizza Hut Classic explain that the company's goal is to let customers who remember the old decor enjoy it once again. The chain has also capitalized on nostalgia in other ways, such as the Pizza Hut app that puts a modern twist on an old rewards program: the iconic Book It! promotion. However, while Pizza Hut was all about promoting the app, it is strangely mum about its Classic stores. As of this writing, it has not published any press releases or promotions regarding Pizza Hut Classics, leaving fans to spread the word and track down locations for themselves – sounds like a secretly genius marketing strategy.

Some customers may be disappointed that Pizza Hut Classics aren't exactly "authentic," but they might match your memories better than a Hut that hasn't been renovated in over 20 years. We often view the past through rose-colored glasses, and these stores let you step into a fresh, clean, ideal version of the Pizza Hut you remember.