Frank Pizza Hut co-founder dead

Frank Carney (82), Pizza Hut’s co-founder died on Wednesday of Pneumonia. Frank Carney and his brother, Dan, started the company when Frank was a 19-year-old Wichita State University student near their family’s grocery store in Kansas City. Frank recently recovered from Covid-19 and was also suffering from Alzheimer’s for more than 10 years.

The first Pizza Hut grew to a multi-million dollar chain that PepsiCo purchased in 1977 for $300 million, though the company is now owned by Yum Brands in Louisville, Kentucky.

When PepsiCo opted to relocate the chain’s headquarters to Dallas during its ownership, Carney became a Papa John’s franchise, competing with the chain he started in Wichita. When Pizza Marketplace reached Pizza Hut this morning, a company’s spokesperson released the following statement: “The Impact of Frank Carney’s entrepreneurship and his decision to open the first Pizza Hut with his brother, Dan, in 1958 can be felt by anyone with an appreciation for the brand’s iconic red roofs and delicious pizzas. His legacy will live on in big cities and small towns across the country and around the world, in restaurants that for decades have brought people together and serve as a testament to his vision for the brand and his success as a business leader. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Carney family”.