The Big New Yorker Pizza Bagel, a mashup of Pizza Hut’s Big New Yorker Pizza and a Yeastie Boys bagel, is ready to make its debut.
Pizza Hut partnered with Yeastie Boys, the Los Angeles-based bagel food truck concept, to launch the limited-time item. It features Yeastie Boys’ signature fluffy, chewy bagel topped with layers of marinara sauce, fresh Parmesan cheese, oregano and pepperoni.
The Big New Yorker Pizza Bagel will roll out via Yeastie Boys food trucks in Los Angeles and New York City, premiering at the Rolling Loud music festival in LA over the weekend of March 15-17. The NYC launch takes place on March 22-23, with another Los Angeles run on March 22-24.
"We're thrilled to partner with Yeastie Boys to introduce the Pizza Bagel, giving our Big New Yorker pizza an even bigger New York twist,” said Rachel Antalek, chief food innovation officer at Pizza Hut, in a statement. “We are always looking for innovative ways to surprise our customers, and this collaboration perfectly embodies our commitment to bold flavors and culinary creativity. The Big New Yorker Pizza Bagel is a bold celebration of New York's culinary spirit, and we can't wait for pizza and bagel lovers alike to experience this new item.”
Pizza Hut's Melts also check off the boxes for portability and solo dining. | Photo courtesy of Pizza Hut.
The Pizza Bagels are the latest move by Plano, Texas-based Pizza Hut in its quest to court younger customers and solo diners. In late 2022, the chain introduced Pizza Hut Melts, a handheld item that looks like a cross between a quesadilla and a stromboli. During parent company Yum Brands’ Investor Day presentation in December of that year, CEO Aaron Powell said “it’s intentionally designed for young people to like it,” reported RB’s Jonathan Maze.
Other pizza concepts are also reconfiguring the shareable pie to target portability and solo diners. Papa Johns launched its Papadias back in 2021, a takeoff of the piadina, an Italian street food. The handhelds are made by folding and baking dough around pizza topping ingredients. The line has since expanded from the original four variations and created a new menu category with strong sales.
Crazy Puffs are Little Caesars' new handheld adaptable for grab-and-go and snacking. | Photo courtesy of Little Caesars.
More recently, Domino’s added Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread last August, an extension of its Stuffed Cheesy Bread platform. And just this month, Little Caesars launched Crazy Puffs, a grab-and-go item it’s calling a “portable pizza pocket.” The snacks come four to an order in two flavors: cheese and pepperoni.
To celebrate the rollout of its newest handheld, Pizza Hut is giving away free Big New Yorker Pizza Bagels from the Yeastie Boys trucks while supplies last, with a limit of one per customer. Select Pizza Bagels will come with a scratch-off that includes codes for Pizza Hut gift cards up to $25 or custom Yeastie Boys x Pizza Hut swag.
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