Buzz
When Pizza Hut introduced its latest creation in the summer of 1985 under the made-up Italian name Priazzo, the chain was quick to clarify that it was not just another variation of pizza, despite what some might have assumed.
The Priazzo was unlike anything Americans had encountered before. With two layers of dough, plus a medley of toppings—pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, spinach, ham, bacon, tomatoes, and a full pound of cheese—Pizza Hut billed it as a 'pie.' Others saw it as an odd fusion of pizza, quiche, and lasagna. PepsiCo, which owned the brand at the time, hoped it would increase sales by 10%.
And it did, for a brief period. But there were inherent issues with a pizza chain serving something that didn't quite resemble traditional pizza.
The Priazzo, which took two years to develop, followed the success of Pizza Hut's 1983 introduction of the Personal Pan Pizza. This smaller portioned pizza, designed to appeal to those looking for a quick lunch, was an enormous success, boosting the company's lunchtime business by 70%. With the Priazzo, however, Pizza Hut went in the opposite direction, supersizing a dinner option and limiting it to after 4 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.
Although the name was entirely made up—crafted by Charles Brymer, a marketing consultant who also coined the name for the Pontiac Fiero—Pizza Hut gave each Priazzo variation a name based on Italian cities. The Roma featured a blend of meats (pepperoni, Italian sausage, and pork) with mozzarella and cheddar cheese, plus onions and mushrooms. The Milano included the same meats as the Roma but added beef and bacon, with mozzarella and cheddar, though no mushrooms or onions. Finally, the Florentine piled on spinach, ham, and five types of cheese, including ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, and cheddar. A fourth option, the vegetarian Napoli, was added later.
Each Priazzo was generously stuffed with ingredients, topped with a second layer of dough, tomato sauce, and cheese baked on top. A small Priazzo cost about $8.05, a medium was priced at $10.95, and a large set you back around $13.75. For that price, diners got the full Priazzo experience—no substitutions or topping changes allowed. The abundance of ingredients was the defining feature, although customers could request the removal of certain items.
'Most Italian homes have a version of their own,' said Arthur Gunther, Pizza Hut's president at the time, speaking to the Chicago Tribune in 1985 about the inspiration behind the Priazzo. 'We looked for those that we felt would have application in the United States.' In Italy, double-crusted pies like the Priazzo are known as pizza rusticha, though the addition of sauce and cheese over the top crust was an innovation unique to the Priazzo.
Bolstered by a $15 million marketing campaign, a commercial filmed in Italy, and music by famed Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini, the Priazzo made a grand entrance in June 1985, coinciding with Pizza Hut and other chains expanding into home delivery. While it wasn't exactly a deep-dish pizza, the Priazzo offered a similar heft, and Pizza Hut hoped this would appeal to those craving a substantial pizza experience outside Chicago.
The Priazzo quickly found a small but dedicated following, drawn to its hearty, layered design. However, one prominent critic was Evelyne Slomon, a cooking instructor and author of 1984's The Pizza Book: Everything There Is To Know About the World's Greatest Pie. She declined an invitation to promote the pizza, remarking that authentic Italians would rarely pile so much meat onto their pies. Additionally, she pointed out that in Italian, the word pizza is often synonymous with pie, making Pizza Hut’s insistence that their 'Italian pie' was not a pizza somewhat irritating for language experts.
Nonetheless, Pizza Hut achieved its goal. By early 1986, PepsiCo reported a 12% growth in Pizza Hut's revenue, partly fueled by the Priazzo's introduction. However, the momentum didn’t last. In the competitive pizza market, customers preferred their usual favorites. As the novelty wore off, many stopped choosing the Priazzo for their pizza nights. There were also reports that employees found the thick, time-consuming pies difficult to manage.
By 1991, the Priazzo had all but disappeared, with its last mention in print by Pizza Hut in 1993. The mantle of over-the-top pizza was later taken up by the stuffed crust pizza, introduced in 1995, which has remained a popular choice ever since. This lasting appeal may be partly due to Pizza Hut’s straightforward approach in simply calling it what it was: a pizza.
