How Pizza Hut Put Food Delivery On The Map In The 1990s

Nowadays, it's easy to take for granted the scope of options on food delivery apps — some of which are entirely virtual restaurants you can't even visit — all only a press of a button away. While it has become an increasingly day-to-day convenience for many, digital ordering is a relatively young phenomenon. The first food item ever ordered online occurred in 1994, and it was none other than a Pizza Hut pie.

Conducted on a now-extinct platform called PizzaNet, the system initially didn't offer added convenience over calling. At the time, the publicly accessible World Wide Web was under a year old. So when a pizza was placed into the checkout — the inaugural order featured mushrooms, pepperoni, and extra cheese — staff at the chain's headquarters then had to manually pass on details to each outlet. Order specifics were confirmed again with each client, as payment only occurred when the pizza arrived, before pizza-making could initiate.

Available at very select locations, the platform didn't immediately replace phone delivery; not many customers had internet access, after all. Still, the system paved the way for a style of food delivery that became widespread around a decade down the line.

Founded in 1958, Pizza Hut created many innovations over its history. Already the globe's leading pizza chain by '71, it was the fast food chain that took over the 1970s and hasn't slowed down since. Alongside expanding operations, Pizza Hut consistently funded business innovation. The chain pushed the edge of both pie creations, hence inventions like pizzas that featured hot dogs as the crust, as well as the consumer experience. The chain even once prototyped delivery vehicles equipped with an oven.

Amid such a context, Pizza Hut's pioneering use of the internet falls in line with the company's ethos. After 1994, the chain continued to invest in digital pizza technology, adding the ability to schedule orders in 2003, as well as enabling orders via a smartphone in 2009, another industry first among pizza chains.

Unlike the slow rise of the inaugural internet platform, investments in mobile ordering took off at a lightning pace. Easing customizable toppings and later allowing for GPS tracking, it became another crucial Pizza Hut development step. With digital momentum tracing back to the pivotal 1990s internet platform, it's such considerations that have helped Pizza Hut retain its ubiquitous status.