Clinton is a Marketing Coordinator at Wichita State's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
He loves walking his dog on campus, and jogging on the Redbud Trail just south of
Wichita State near 17th Street. He is a native Kansan and loves the Sunflower State
(in spite of the weather).
Believe it or not, Wichita has a rich history not just as a foodie-friendly city,
but as the birthplace of several international restaurant chains. Arguably the most
well-known of those is Pizza Hut.
Beginning in 1958 with brothers Dan and Frank Carney - both Wichita State students
– Pizza Hut was born from $600 borrowed from their mom. The name Pizza Hut came to
be because their original sign only had enough room for eight letters.
From there the restaurant expanded into one of the largest procurers of pizza on the
planet with more than 19,000 locations across 100 countries. The building where it
all started sits on the Wichita State University campus today as The Pizza Hut Museum, and tells the story of the restaurant’s nearly 70-year history. Inside, visitors
can expect photos and displays from the first Pizza Hut to its expansion and modernization.
This includes video and audio displays, as well as items such as original Pizza Hut
recipes, schedules and more.
Clinton Dick/Wichita State Admissions
It was only in the past decade that the museum came to fruition. The building’s original
location was the corner of Bluff and Kellogg in Wichita before being moved the Wichita
State’s main campus. The Pizza Hut Museum opened in April of 2018.
Hours for the museum are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays. Admission is free, and with
other spots on campus such as the Ulrich Art Museum, Cadman Art Gallery and Lowell
Holmes Anthropology Museum, there is plenty to make a day of it.