Pizza Hut has announced plans to close hundreds of restaurants across the United States in 2026. Yum! Brands, the parent company of the pizza chain, shared the news during its Q4 2025 earnings call on Feb. 4. The move comes amid a “strategic turnaround effort” that involves “targeted clo sures, marketing support, and modernization initiatives” for Pizza Hut restaurants in the U.S., per a transcript of the earnings call. A sign is posted on the exterior of a Pizza Hut restaurant on March 25, 2024 in San Pablo, California. Yum! Brands chief financial officer Ranjith Roy first alluded to “targeted closures of underperforming units” while discussing the company’s financial performance. Roy then shared that approximately 250 Pizza Hut locations in the U.S. will be closed in the first half of 2026. He did not share a list of the restaurants the company intends to close. “We have confidence in our Pizza Hut team and the steps they are taking to help set expectations on key Pizza Hut business metrics for 2026,” the CFO said. “In the first half of the year, in the U.S., we expect approximately 250 targeted closures of underperforming units tied to the Hut Forward program,” a Pizza Hut spokesperson tells TODAY.com. During the QA session of the call, Roy addressed one reporter’s question regarding the total amount of restaurant closures and whether the company has plans to close additional locations. “The 250 stores that we mentioned is a very small portion of the 20,000 unit estate that Pizza Hut has globally. And it is the right answer for the brand as we move through the strategic review,” he said. Throughout 2025, Pizza Hut experienced a 1% same-store sales decline globally. However, international locations showed some promise. “We were pleased with continued momentum in Pizza Hut International where same-store sales were up 1% with strength in The Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Pizza Hut globally opened over 440 gross units and nearly 1,200 gross units in 2025 across in Q4, 65 countries,” Roy said. Amid an increasingly challenging economy for restaurants, Pizza Hut is the latest chain to announce the closure of a significant number of restaurants. Darden Restaurants, Inc. just announced it is closing all of its remaining Bahama Breeze locations. In November 2025, Wendy’s unveiled plans to close roughly 300 restaurants. Jack in the Box also revealed it would be closing up to 200 underperforming locations in April 2025. This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Savannah’s mother Nancy Guthrie is still missing, FBI offers $50,000 reward Cardiologist reveals the No. 1 nutrient she prioritizes for better heart health This breathing exercise takes 1 minute and can take you out of fight-or-flight mode ...read more read less