This summer I took my kids into a Pizza Hut after my son's little league baseball game. I hate Pizza Hut pizza almost as much as the sludge you get at Schnatter's shit hole. But for me, it was more about nostalgia. This is what we did when I was in little league. Arcade games, big red plastic cups and pitchers of soda! It sounded great!
We go in and, except for the robots making pizza, there's not a soul in the place. Tables are dirty and wobbly. Chairs are the stackable kind you'd find in a junior high assembly. No booths, no arcade games.
...and we still had terrible pizza to look forward to.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
This summer I took my kids into a Pizza Hut after my son's little league baseball game. I hate Pizza Hut pizza almost as much as the sludge you get at Schnatter's shit hole. But for me, it was more about nostalgia. This is what we did when I was in little league. Arcade games, big red plastic cups and pitchers of soda! It sounded great!
We go in and, except for the robots making pizza, there's not a soul in the place. Tables are dirty and wobbly. Chairs are the stackable kind you'd find in a junior high assembly. No booths, no arcade games.
...and we still had terrible pizza to look forward to.
I think its cute you still thought there'd be arcade games at a Pizza Hut. =)
The new trend is for places like Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, Dominos, etc. is grab and go. Pizza really is and has been about delivery, but the days of sitting down and eating with family at big booths are mostly long gone. So today its ordering online, incenting you to come pick it up ideally or having it delivered. New stores are being built with no seats with tables or VERY limited seating for eating. Small footprints, lower overhead. Name of the game is volume, churn and burn. Heck, you can just drop in to places like Little Caesars or Dominos and pick up a pizza without ordering it ahead of time (limited options however), they have some ready to go at any time.
The Pizza Hut you went to was empty, not because people aren't buying their pizzas, but because its not how the vast majority of people eat pizza today at chain places like that. Local pizza joints still mostly have seating.
I've worked at 3 pizza places. My first job in the world was at a Little Caesar's. I can confirm they use frozen ingredients.
The next two (at the same time for a while... This is where I learned of the term "conflict of interest") we're:
Round Table (used fresh ingredients in the early 90's...) and Mountain Mike's (used fresh ingredients in the 90's, and also had linguiça as an option!).
Sadly, there are minimal to no Round Tables in CO, and certainly no Mountain Mike's (I believe that to be a NorCal thing).
I miss old pizza places... Dark, arcade games, good pizza.
Funny. At Mountain Mike's, they would let an employee choose the pizza of the day, and they'd constantly have one of those in the back all day for the crew to munch on. At Round Table (way more corporate) we'd have to have our friends call in fake delivery orders. The delivery would go out, the friend would reject it, the pizza would come back, and be donated to the crew.
Everyone used to tell me that I'd get sick of pizza... Never happened. I have 3 weaknesses in life that have never faltered:
- Pizza
- Ice Cream
- Chips (I don't discriminate... Bring 'em on. But I really love Chili Cheese Fritos...)
One of the best times of my life was delivering pizza as a 15-17 year old for Rocco’s Pizza 35 years ago in Winona. Rocco’s has been around since the 50’s. Great old classic thin crust pizza. I was paid cash and tips but what was great is the hours allowed me to play golf about 5 days a week. My game has never been the same.
Rocco’s is still around, still thriving. Its your classic though, a pub bar, arcade games, pool table. The pizza is the best.
Quote: @Clanzomaelan said:
I've worked at 3 pizza places. My first job in the world was at a Little Caesar's. I can confirm they use frozen ingredients.
The next two (at the same time for a while... This is where I learned of the term "conflict of interest") we're:
Round Table (used fresh ingredients in the early 90's...) and Mountain Mike's (used fresh ingredients in the 90's, and also had linguiça as an option!).
Sadly, there are minimal to no Round Tables in CO, and certainly no Mountain Mike's (I believe that to be a NorCal thing).
I miss old pizza places... Dark, arcade games, good pizza.
Funny. At Mountain Mike's, they would let an employee choose the pizza of the day, and they'd constantly have one of those in the back all day for the crew to munch on. At Round Table (way more corporate) we'd have to have our friends call in fake delivery orders. The delivery would go out, the friend would reject it, the pizza would come back, and be donated to the crew.
Everyone used to tell me that I'd get sick of pizza... Never happened. I have 3 weaknesses in life that have never faltered:
- Pizza
- Ice Cream
- Chips (I don't discriminate... Bring 'em on. But I really love Chili Cheese Fritos...)
Central Denver has some really great pizza. Here is a list of last year's top 10 according to Westword. Love Bar Dough in Highlands and Cart-Driver in Rino. I think Fat Sully's is overrated. Ernie's and Hops & Pie are both damn good. Hops & Pie has the best beer list I've ever seen, but the pizza's a little quirky for my taste. The best IMO they don't even list. Parisi on 44th and Tennyson.
Really good pizza here in KC but I still miss Ronnalley's in St. Paul. 
Usually, delivery and good pizza don't go together, but I had a pretty good one delivered to our hotel room in downtown Mpls when I was there last time. Dulono's I think?
We had a pie delivered to our room when we stayed in Minnesota. Thats not pizza. You people need to taste pizza in NY. 
And yes - delivery ruins pizza. The heat makes it soggy.
Papa Johns= Worst....Pizza....Ever
I like to do my own on the Big Green Egg at 600-650º. Generally like thin crust. But also have a 12" cast iron pan for doing a Chicago deep dish style.
Suddenly I'm hungry for pizza. Yummy.
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