Pizza Hut's forgotten role of role in one of America's great acts of subterfuge
3 days ago
- #Soviet Union
- #Cold War
- #Fast Food History
- Rita Skimehorn grew up in Mascoutah, Illinois, where Pizza Hut was the main hangout spot in the 1970s.
- Skimehorn started working at Pizza Hut at 16 and rose to become a training manager by her mid-20s.
- In 1990, Pizza Hut offered Skimehorn a job in Moscow as part of their expansion into the USSR.
- Pizza Hut's entry into the USSR was part of a larger effort by PepsiCo to expand internationally, leveraging political reforms under Gorbachev.
- The first Pizza Hut in Moscow faced challenges like supply shortages, bureaucratic hurdles, and the need to bribe officials with vodka for construction materials.
- Pizza Hut's Moscow opening in 1990 was a cultural event, with crowds lining up to experience American-style dining, including the novel concept of a salad bar.
- The restaurant faced temporary shutdowns due to corrupt health inspectors but managed to reopen after defying orders.
- Pizza Hut became a symbol of change in the USSR, offering new opportunities for employees and introducing Western business practices.
- During the 1991 Soviet coup attempt, Pizza Hut provided food to Boris Yeltsin and his supporters, gaining international media attention.
- After the USSR dissolved, Pizza Hut struggled with the chaotic transition to capitalism and eventually closed its Moscow locations in the late 1990s.
- Gorbachev starred in a 1997 Pizza Hut commercial, symbolizing the fleeting hope of Western-style reform in Russia.