Good News, It Doesn’t Look Like Montana Pizza Huts Are Closing

There's been a lot of news lately about chain restaurants that has diners in Montana and everywhere wondering if their local franchise would be closing.

Back in April, we noticed that four chains with restaurants located in Missoula appeared on a list published by Eat This, Not That called "7 Restaurant Chains That are Struggling in 2024." As we said at that time, "These are not specific to the Missoula locations," but people are noticing chains struggling across the country.

Then, there was the news in May that Red Lobster was closing dozens of locations in the United States. Thankfully, though, the franchise in Billings, Montana, was not on the list of locations closing.

The latest news about a chain with restaurants closing is Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut Closing Locations in the Midwest

When I saw the news that Pizza Hut locations in the U.S. would be closing the book-reading-pizza-lover in me was worried. I have Pizza Hut to thank for at least half of my interest in books at a young age thanks to the BookIt program that rewards reading with personal pan pizzas.

But in this case, the Pizza Hut restaurants that are closing and the others that could be closing, aren't located in Montana.

According to the New York Post, 15 locations have closed, and "120 others [are] at risk of closing down after the chain landed in a bitter legal dispute with a franchisee."

The Reason Why Montana Won't Be Affected: EYM group, the company that owns the Pizza Hut franchises and is embroiled in this dispute only owns restaurants in 7 states: Texas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Wisconsin--i.e. not Montana. And according to the New York Post, they only have Pizza Hut locations in Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.

So for now, and for this reason, the Montana Pizza Hut locations are still safe. Now go have a slice with a good book.