Press Release From: Pizza Hut
Posted: Monday, May 21, 2001
Landmark "Space Race'' Delivery Made To International Space Station Pioneers
Adding another chapter to the decades-old "space race" chronicles, Pizza Hut has become the first company in history to deliver pizza straight to the pioneers living in outer space on the International Space Station (ISS). The creation and delivery of the world's first space-consumable pizza was the culmination of nearly a year of collaboration between Pizza Hut and Russian food scientists. After months of rigorous testing, the Pizza Hut pizza made the landmark, trans-atmospheric journey to become the only pizza ever delivered to and eaten by people living in space.
"Pizza Hut is known for quality, innovation and category leadership. Having recorded numerous 'firsts' on Earth, we also wanted to make history by becoming the first company in the world to deliver pizza to space," said Randy Gier, chief marketing officer, Pizza Hut, Inc. "From this day forward, Pizza Hut pizza will go down in history as the world's first pizza to be delivered to and eaten in space."
The "space" Pizza Hut pizza delivered to the ISS featured traditional ingredients including a crispy crust, pizza sauce and cheese, but was topped with salami to enhance the pizza's flavor because researchers found that pepperoni did not withstand the 60-day testing process. In addition, the Pizza Hut space pizza was made six inches in diameter - the size of the Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza® - in order to fit into the smaller-sized oven aboard the ISS. Before final certification for consumption was given, the vacuum-sealed Pizza Hut pizza had to undergo rigorous stabilized thermal conditions to determine freshness-stay and life span.
"As a leader in the pizza delivery business, we're determined to give customers what they want, when they want it and where they want it, even if they are in space. Wherever there is life, there will be Pizza Hut pizza," said Gier. "After checking and re-checking the address, we made a few minor route adjustments to ensure that the pizza would successfully make it to the ISS. If space tourism is going to be a reality, Pizza Hut pizza will make the trip even better."
Consumers can log onto www.pizzahut.com to view photographs of the cosmonauts eating Pizza Hut pizza inside the ISS and photographs of the pizza being developed in the kitchens of the Russian space program's headquarters in Kazakhstan.
In July 2000, the race for space commercialization began as Pizza Hut became the first company in history to place its logo on the world's largest proton rocket. The innovative space sponsorship campaign was part of the company's dramatic turnaround and re-imaging campaign, which includes a more than $500 million investment over five years to make contemporary and upgrade Pizza Hut units around the globe.
Pizza Hut, a division of Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., is the world's largest pizza restaurant company with more than 8,000 units in the United States and nearly 4,000 units in 90 countries. The company is the recognized leader in the $25 billion pizza category. Those hungry for more information can go to the Pizza Hut web site at www.pizzahut.com.
Contact:
Patty Sullivan
Pizza Hut
972-338-7844
Lori Shachtman
Edelman Public Relations
312-297-7028
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