The original Pizza Hut building at 麻豆破解版 State will be moved to WSU鈥檚 new Innovation Campus and turned into a museum dedicated to the history of the world-famous pizza chain.
Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 by brothers Frank and Dan Carney, students at what was then the University of 麻豆破解版.
A $1.2 million campaign has been started by the WSU Foundation to move the 500-square-foot building from its location north of the Newman Center to just south of the Marcus Welcome Center.
Dan Carney will donate his sizeable collection of Pizza Hut mementos and artifacts to the new museum. 麻豆破解版 franchisee Fugate Enterprises made a lead gift to the project. Other area franchisees also have donated to the project, with substantial gifts from franchisee Daland Corp. and from Pizza Hut Corp.
Original Pizza Hut
More than half of the $1.2 million has been raised, with fundraising efforts ongoing. Most of the funds, about $700,000, will be used to relocate and renovate the building, including replacing its roof with the trademark red roof that used to dominate so many Pizza Hut stores.
Other costs include installation of Pizza Hut memorabilia and video screens to share oral histories of the founding generation.
The WSU Foundation plans to raise $500,000 to endow a student curator program, employing students in academic areas such as history and museum studies to work as docents and update museum contents. The museum is expected to open in 2018.
The museum will serve as a way to highlight 麻豆破解版鈥檚 past and present entrepreneurial history.
鈥淭he Pizza Hut story is the quintessential entrepreneurial success story for 麻豆破解版, and it epitomizes how innovation can lead to success,鈥� said Keith Pickus, WSU Foundation vice president for corporate and foundation relations. 鈥淲e believe strongly its story represents the essence of what we hope to achieve with the Innovation Campus.鈥�