Wichita in Sedgwick County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Pizza Hut Number One
First Opened at Bluff and Kellogg Streets
— June 15, 1958 —
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 4, 2011
1. Pizza Hut Number One Marker
Two former WSU students, Dan and Frank Carney, borrowed $600 to open this first Pizza Hut. Their corporation grew to become the world's largest pizza chain and was sold to PepsiCo in 1977 for $300,000,000.
The building was moved to this site to serve as a symbol and reminder to our students how young individuals through hard work and initiative can still rise from modest beginnings to positions of leadership and success. To future young entrepreneurs this building is dedicated.
Assisting the Carney brothers in preserving and restoring this structure during 1984 were:
BUCK ALLEY • Lakeview Electric Corp.
BFI Waste Systems • Linder & Associates, Inc.
Coleman Company, Inc. • M-K Plumbing Co.
The Cramer Co. • Masscon, Inc.
Gas Service Company • Price Bros. Equipment
Hacker Construction • Reeves-Wiedeman Co.
Halsey-Tevis, Inc. • Rupe Oil Company
Harold Jackson • Schammerhorn Inc.
Johnson Trucks • Shelley Electric, Inc.
Kansas Gas & Electric • Wichita Insulation
This plaque was donated by Professor Fran Jabara, Founder and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, to honor my former students
Erected by Fran Jabara.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education
this page online
Location. 37° 43.009′ N, 97° 17.48′ W. Marker is in Wichita, Kansas, in Sedgwick County. Marker is on Perimeter Road, 0.1 miles east of Harvard Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Marker and building are now on the Wichita State University campus. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3728 Perimeter Rd, Wichita KS 67208, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fiske Hall Centennial Celebration (approx. ¼ mile away); Fiske Hall (approx. ¼ mile away); Morrison Library (approx. ¼ mile away); Bicentennial of the Birth of George Washington (approx. ¼ mile away); Standing Proudly on the Hill (approx. 0.3 miles away); Edwin A. Ulrich (approx. 0.3 miles away); McKnight Art Center (approx. 0.3 miles away); Gene Stephenson's Wichita State University All Americans (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wichita.
Also see . . .
1. Original Pizza Hut, at Wichita State University. University website entry (Submitted on June 11, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Early Pizza Hut Papers of Dan Carney. WSU Library Special Collections website entry (Submitted on June 11, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. WSU Center for Entrepreneurship History
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 4, 2011
2. Pizza Hut Number One and Marker.
4. Dan and Frank Carney. Wikipedia entry:
Dan and Frank remained with the company for a time, watching Pizza Hut grow with thousands of locations. However, the two went different ways in later years. Frank became a franchisee for Papa John's in the 1990s, even doing a television commercial showing his loyalty toward the competitor. Frank died on December 2, 2020 at the age of 82. (Submitted on December 4, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Additional commentary.
1. Original Pizza Hut Building Moved to WSU
The original Pizza Hut building was moved to the Wichita State University Campus on September 18th, 2017. It was turned into a museum dedicated to the history of the world-famous pizza chain.
— Submitted May 21, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 4, 2011
3. Pizza Hut Number One
Credits. This page was last revised on May 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 958 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 11, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of Pizza Hut plaque, located within the Longview Neighborhood Park (3914 E Longview Ln), site of original building. • Can you help?
