America’s largest pizza chain is about to begin testing the delivery of beer and wine alongside its pizza pies.
Starting this week, Pizza Hut will offer a $10.99 flat rate to include six-packs of Anheuser-Busch beers with its deliveries in Phoenix, Arizona. In January, the company plans to add wine to its offerings and expand beyond its test market.
The hope is that by adding beer and wine to its delivery menu, the company will have an extra edge over competitors. The company has more than 16,000 locations, many of which already serve alcohol.
“We’ve been laser focused on digital and delivery for a while now. I think this is really one way where we can provide a unique Pizza Hut delivery experience,” Pizza Hut marketing director Stacy Lynn Bourgeois told QSR Magazine.
The focus Bourgeois highlighted is serious. Earlier this year, Pizza Hut executives said they have a $130-million plan to boost the brand, partially by ramping up delivery efforts. By the end of the year, the company expects to hire 14,000 new drivers.
For years, Pizza Hut has been playing catch-up with one of its main rivals, Dominos. While Dominos focused early on delivery—with crazy-impressive stock-price growth—Pizza Hut floundered while focusing most of its attention on consumers who dine in. It experimented by adding more chicken to its menu and even tried baking hot dogs into some of its pizza crusts. By honing in on its delivery apparatus and offerings, the chain hopes to find some of the same success as Dominos.