City welcomes new Pizza Hut prototype store at

City welcomes new
Pizza Hut prototype
store at ribbon-cutting event
Donald R. Grebien
A first of its kind prototype for Pizza Hut that opened its
doors in January received an official city welcome on
Friday, Feb. 28 as Mayor Donald R. Grebien assisted
company executive Bill Ahrens with a giant scissors to
cut a big red ribbon on the 1242 Newport Ave. store,
which employs 50 full and part time workers.
Mayor
“We’re always pleased to welcome new businesses
that contribute to the city’s economy and hire local
workers,” Grebien said.
Ahrens, Pizza Hut special director of operations,
praised the cooperation he received from the city in
navigating the necessary permitting and other approval
phases for the opening of the restaurant, which in
company parlance is referred to as a DELCO – Delivery and Carry Out.
City Councilor Mark Wildenhain and Mayor Donald R. Grebien pose with Pizza Hut restaurant general manager Dawn Gioello, holding a welcoming proclamation from the mayor, and Bill Ahrens, special director of operations, at the new store at 1242 Newport. Ave. “This is unique, this is a DELCO Plus,” explained
Ahrens, including bringing cooked pizzas to the tables on risers. “We give them an experience that’s more than just a
casual place.”
The restaurant also features takeout, delivery and catering,
unlike a similar prototype that opened in York, Nebraska the
same day that is dine-in based. Ahrens said store managers
first got to know their neighbor businesses by knocking on
doors and dropping off complimentary pizzas.
Since opening to national publicity on Jan. 14, sparked by Pizza Hut’s move to thinner crust and single slices here to suit
what it determined would be welcomed by the local market, the
proof is in the pies.
An oﬃcial ribbon cutting was held Friday, Feb. 28 to celebrate the new restaurant. From left: Rob Duke, area coach; Dawn Gioello, store general manager; Bill Ahrens, special director of operations; Mayor Donald R. Grebien; Dale Springer, region coach; and City Councilor Mark Wildenhain. “Twice as much as we envisaged,” Ahrens said, also including
more than 5,000 single slices. “We’ve had more than 14,000
customers in the first five weeks. We’re thrilled,” he said.
“Because of the volume, we put a third oven in.” The rapid acceptance has also led to three employees already moving up
the ladder to manager positions, he said.
Other food offerings include salads, pasta, wings in eight flavors, bread and cheese sticks and a mix-and-match menu
pick for $5. The specialty menu features cheesy margherita, meatball carbonara and chicken bacon ranch pizzas. Also
featured are 18-inch size pies almost two-thirds larger than the
large size but can still be cooked in minutes. “We’re trying to
make sure that everyone gets what they want,” Ahrens said.
A franchise restaurant for the 6,300-store Pizza Hut chain, which
is owned by Yum Brands as are Taco Bell and KFC, Ahrens said
the company has plans, which it fine-tunes according to customer
feedback, to open more stores in Rhode Island and greater Boston out to Springfield, as well as in Taunton and Dartmouth by mid
-year. “We’re aggressively expanding,” he said.
Orders can be placed online by going to pizzahut.com and typing
in the 02861 zip code that brings up the 1242 Newport Ave.
store’s menu. The restaurant, with free parking, is open 11 a.m. to
Specialty pizzas gleam from the case at the new Pizza midnight on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. the rest
Hut prototype store at 1242 Newport Ave. of the week.

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