Pizza Hut Debuts First-Ever BOOK IT!® App

Rhea-AI Impact

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Rhea-AI Sentiment

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Rhea-AI Summary

Pizza Hut (YUM) has launched its first-ever BOOK IT! app, revolutionizing its 40-year-old reading program. The app, part of the "BOOK IT! Summer of Stories™" initiative launching June 1, allows parents to track their children's reading progress, set goals, and earn rewards. Young readers can earn one free Personal Pan Pizza® monthly during June, July, and August by meeting reading goals.

The program aims to combat the "Summer Slide" phenomenon, where students can lose up to 2 years of learning by middle school due to reading skill decline during breaks. The app targets children from Pre-K through 6th grade, enabling parents to set customized monthly reading goals based on their child's abilities.

Positive

Introduction of digital tracking system modernizes the 40-year-old BOOK IT! program
Potential to increase customer engagement and brand loyalty through monthly rewards
Strategic timing with summer break helps combat 'Summer Slide' and positions Pizza Hut as education supporter

Negative

Cost of providing free Personal Pan Pizzas monthly during summer
Limited revenue potential as program focuses on small-sized pizzas

News Market Reaction – YUM

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-0.94% News Effect

On the day this news was published, YUM declined 0.94%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

05/27/2025 - 07:02 AM

The revitalized summer reading program, "BOOK IT! Summer of Stories™," launches June 1, offering free Personal Pan Pizzas® to young readers during the summer months

PLANO, Texas, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in BOOK IT!'s 40-year history, Pizza Hut, LLC, proudly announces the launch of the BOOK IT! app — now available in all available app stores. The new app officially launched this month and is designed to help parents keep their children engaged in reading all summer long. This new digital tool empowers families to track progress of their child's reading, set goals and earn pizza rewards all while preventing the "Summer Slide."

The Summer Slide is a well-documented dip in reading skills that many children experience during school breaks. Combined over the years, research shows that by the time a student reaches middle school, they've lost the equivalent of 2 years of learning to summer slide. *

The BOOK IT! app is part of Pizza Hut's revitalized summer reading program named, "BOOK IT! Summer of Stories," which officially launches June 1. The initiative encourages parents to stay engaged with their child's reading journey and sharpen their literacy skills throughout the summer months. Parents can set monthly reading goals specifically designed to support children from Pre-K through 6^th grade and cater toward their child's unique abilities while monitoring their progress.

Pizza Hut believes every story deserves a great reward, and through this program, young readers can earn one free Personal Pan Pizza® each month in June, July, and August by reaching the reading goals parents set for each month.

"BOOK IT! has inspired a love for reading in millions of children since 1984," said Lucila Cuello, Chief People and Culture Officer, Pizza Hut U.S. "Now, with the launch of the BOOK IT! app, we're making it even easier for parents to connect with their kids, set meaningful reading goals and inspire plenty of fun pizza-filled memories with their families. This new platform will help keep reading goals top of mind this summer — and turn progress into pizza!"

To participate, families can download the BOOK IT! app from their preferred app store, set their child's June reading goal by June 1 and kick off their child's "BOOK IT! Summer of Stories" reading adventure. Every page turned brings children closer to earning their monthly pizza reward, helping to establish a lifelong love of reading.

For more information about BOOK IT! and the "BOOK IT! Summer of Stories" program, please visit www.bookitprogram.com. And to stay up to date on all things Pizza Hut, visit www.pizzahut.com or follow the brand on social media on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

*Source: iD Tech

About Pizza Hut^®
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, and is a global leader in the pizza category with nearly 20,000 restaurants in more than 110 markets and territories. The brand has earned a reputation as a trailblazer in innovation with the creation of icons like Original® Pan and Original® Stuffed Crust pizzas. In 1994, Pizza Hut pizza was the very first online food order, and today Pizza Hut continues leading the way in the digital and technology space with over half of transactions worldwide coming from digital orders. In addition, Pizza Hut has Hut Rewards^®, the brand's loyalty program in the U.S. that offers points for every dollar spent on food any way you order. Leveraging its global presence, Pizza Hut also works to positively impact its employees, the communities it serves and the environment through commitments across three priority areas: More Equity, Less Carbon and Better Packaging.

For more information, visit www.pizzahut.com. You can remain up-to-date on what's happening at Pizza Hut by following us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and subscribing to our YouTube channel.

About BOOK IT!®
Launched by Pizza Hut® in 1984, the BOOK IT!® Program is one of the nation's longest-running corporate-supported reading initiative. Designed for children in Pre-K through 6th grade, the program motivates young readers to achieve literacy goals by rewarding their accomplishments with a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza® from participating locations.

For more than 40 years, BOOK IT! has inspired over 70 million children to develop a love of reading, distributing over 1.5 billion in free Personal Pan Pizzas along the way. Today, the program continues to empower families and educators through both its traditional in-school format and the newly launched BOOK IT! app, a digital platform that makes it easy for parents to set reading goals, track progress and reward achievements at home.

For more information or to enroll, visit www.bookitprogram.com. Stay connected by following BOOK IT! on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACT
ALISON BROD MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
pizza@abmc-us.com

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SOURCE Pizza Hut

FAQ

What is Pizza Hut's new BOOK IT! app and when does it launch?

Pizza Hut's BOOK IT! app is a new digital tool launching June 1, 2025, that allows parents to track their children's reading progress, set goals, and earn pizza rewards. It's available in all app stores.

How can children earn free pizza through YUM's BOOK IT! Summer of Stories program?

Children can earn one free Personal Pan Pizza each month in June, July, and August 2025 by reaching parent-set reading goals through the BOOK IT! app.

What age groups does Pizza Hut's BOOK IT! program target?

The BOOK IT! program is designed for children from Pre-K through 6th grade, with customizable reading goals based on individual abilities.

What problem does Pizza Hut's new BOOK IT! app address?

The app addresses the 'Summer Slide' phenomenon, where students can lose up to 2 years of learning by middle school due to declining reading skills during summer breaks.