My nearest is Pepe’s, which is a sit-down Italian restaurant with pizza (take-out, too). The next nearest is San Remo which has some benches but is really a take-out/delivery joint. There are three others closer than Pizza Hut, all are independently owned, and all of them make better pizza (an other food).
But the best around is DiMola’s, which is like San Remo but MUCH, MUCH better.
Now, if you know where I live, drop it below!
The closest Pizza Hut to where I work closed and was replaced by a Qdoba. I can’t recall the last time I saw a sit-down Pizza Hut, but there is a takeout one just a block away. I’m also within walking distance of a Papa John’s, a Mellow Mushroom, and three independent pizza places. Plus there’s a pretty nice sit-down Italian restaurant that has some pizzas on the menu.
I prefer to go a little father to Porta Via, though, which is well-known for their authentic Neapolitan pizza, made with imported flour and tomatoes. They even had representatives from Italy come over and certify the authenticity of their pizza.
With all that it’s a wonder to me Pizza Hut stays in business, especially since they managed to screw up my order every single time before I finally quit going there. The last straw was when they overcharged me for a pizza I’d ordered off the in-store menu. The manager got angry with me and said, “Well, that’s an old menu.”
Nope, Mom & Pop Pizzerias.
Yep. It’s a sit down Pizza Hut sigh
Geez, can’t you order off the new menu? You and your highfalutin toppings and whatnot!
I’m happy to say that the closest pizza joint to me (literally across the street) is Your Pie.
One thing that the chart doesn’t show are the areas where chains have no significant presences. There are no less than 15 pizza places within 2-3 miles of my house just outside of Boston and two are chains (Dominos and Papa Ginos). Every single other pizza place is independently owned.
The only people I know around here who eat pizza from the chains are people that aren’t from around here originally.
Nope.
We’re surrounded by local independent places. Honestly, I have no idea where the nearest chain one is.
(incidentally - Ballard Pizza company is fantastic)
I saw that link earlier and was intrigued. I closed it again as soon as I realized it was only chains.
I find it odd that pizza is the only food that I can think of that is now cheaper than when I was a kid. Or at least the same price.
They forgot Hungry Howie’s, which is fairly big in Michigan, but I’m not sure where else. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_Howie’s
I have to drive two towns over for any chain pizza. Looks like it’ll just have to be small individual places within walking distance instead. Woe!
I agree that the first mistake here is looking only at chains. I’d like to see it redone with all independents grouped under another color.
Yes, I was wondering if perhaps the chains are much more important in America relatively speaking. Here I’d estimate that independents outnumber chains 10 to 1.
I suspect it’s just that they are a LOT easier to get accurate counts/locations for.
If I had to guess, I’d say Round Table or Godfather’s. I have never gone to either.
Now let me look on the map and see if I’m correct . . .
. . . nope, Washington County appears to be Papa Murphy’s country. That’s a storefront operation, so less visible. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a pie from there, either!
Yeah, including independents in this graph would have been a lot more work. Getting a list of locations for each major chain is way easier. Plus, if you start including independents you would have to start with a definition of what makes something a pizza place. If they merely sell pizza? Pizza has to be more than 50% of their food sales? There are lots of Italian places near me that sell pizza, but it’s just another item on their menu, I don’t consider them pizza joints.
Heck, I remember when McDonalds sold pizza. I never would consider them a pizza joint though.
We have a Papa John’s across the alley, less than 50 feet from our house. We’ve used it perhaps 5 times in the 15 years that it’s been there. The rest of the time, we have one nice independent shop or another deliver. Our fave is Brooklyn, which also happens to be solar powered (except for the gas ovens, naturally).
Oddly enough, as a transplant from Michigan to Maryland, I noticed that Hungry Howies is on the East Coast too. Not many of them, and not even sure it’s the same as the Michigan one though. Never seen them anywhere else though.
That said, there’s a ton of chains they forgot, or this really is the biggest ones in the country.
I live in the DC/MD border, and I believe the closest from this list is a Dominos, followed closely by Papa Johns. I have to haul into the 'burbs or deep into DC for a Pizza Hut. That said, there’s an Italian place in my apartment building that delivers pies upstairs. Also, closer than either of the two big chains are three local chains (Angelico’s, Potomac Pizza, and Pete’s A Pizza) and at least three independent places . The only time I ever see Papa Murphys is when I’m visiting out west, and even when I go home to Michigan, I don’t see Godfathers anymore (but man, I enjoyed them back in the day).
Also, has anyone seen a Sbarro’s that wasn’t part of a mall, gas station, or airport? Just curious.
For those who think Cici’s and their “all you can eat” is something you’re missing. … you’re not. It’s really not that good and best left to children and broke college students.
Finally, the real question remains. . . Did Pizza Hut really go downhill since the 80s and early 90s, is it just better in some parts of the country (I liked them in the Midwest, hate them in DC), or is it just that my taste buds changed?
Interesting data map for what it is, but I’d really love to see how the major chains weigh against regional chains and add in local places.
