Pizza Hut Closes Bay View Shop
Restaurant on KK closed weeks ago, building now for sale.
Pizza Hut Pepperoni and Hawaiian pizza. Photo by flickr user Krista. (CC BY 2.0)
“No one outpizzas the Hut,” but someone might just fill its shoes.
Pizza Hut has closed its Bay View location at 3131 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., confirmed a City of Milwaukee representative during Tuesday’s licenses committee meeting.
The fast food restaurant, a longtime presence in the Bay View neighborhood, ceased operations on Jan. 23, according to a brand representative. The location has since been removed from Pizza Hut’s corporate website.
Owner Eduardo Diaz and his business partner, Salvador Elias, both based in Texas, withdrew their license renewal application before the scheduled hearing. Diaz and Elias are affiliated with EYM Pizza of Wisconsin, LLC, which operates numerous Pizza Huts across Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee closure is part of a broader trend, after EYM Pizza L.P. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. The company, which also operates in Illinois, Indiana, Georgia and South Carolina, is now working with National Franchise Sales to find buyers for its 127 stores, according to a news release.
EYM continues to operate six standalone Pizza Huts in the city of Milwaukee.
The Bay View property, which includes a 1,710-square-foot restaurant and a 27-space parking lot, is now listed for sale at $1,265,000. Kenneth Galvin of SRS Real Estate Partners, LLC is the broker.
EYM Realty of Wisconsin currently owns the property, which was valued at $120,200 in 2024. The August listing notes that Pizza Hut signed a 15-year lease for the location, signaling a “long-term commitment to the site.” The restaurant’s annual license is set to expire in February.
Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 by brothers Frank and Dan Carney, who opened the first location in Wichita, Kansas. Once famous for its signature red roof, the chain offers five different crust styles — Tavern, Original Pan Pizza, Thin ‘N Crispy, Hand-Tossed Pizza and Original Stuffed Crust — with a variety of toppings. The restaurant also serves gluten-free pizzas, chicken wings, flatbread melts, pastas and desserts.
Yum! Brands, Inc., acquired the pizza chain in 1977. The restaurant company, which also includes Taco Bell and KFC, is one of the largest in the world.
A representative of Pizza Hut did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Diaz and Elias could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
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We grew up on Pizza Hut pizza, and now they are so few and far between. After a movie (1970’s & 1980’s) or just to go out…the sit down locations (with a pretty decent salad bar as well) was also very affordable for us in high school and then college. As we got older, and Pizza Hut changed to more of the take out or delivery model, we still loved it! Say what you want…it may not have been the best pizza in the world, but it sure worked for us back then. And never forget the ruby red pebbled glasses! A classic item from the way back machine!
I prefer small independent local operators.