America’s favorite pizza chain has ‘nostalgia factor’ that edges out competition, survey shows

Nypost · May 19, 2026 · 510 words · By Fox News

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/19/lifestyle/pizza-hut-names-americas-favorite-pizza-…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

10 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 4

verified Verified By Reference 2

check_circle

“Pizza Hut remains America’s favorite pizza chain, according to a new YouGov survey of more than 44,000 diners across the country”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by both Fox News and AOL, citing a YouGov survey of 44,000 diners.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Brian R. Niccol (born 1974) is an American businessman and the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks, a role which he started on September 9, 2024, replacing Laxman Narasimhan. He previous…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Niccol

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Papa John's International, Inc., trading as Papa Johns, is an American pizza restaurant chain. As of 2023, it is the fourth largest pizza delivery restaurant chain in the United States, with headquart…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_John's

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shakey's Pizza is a pizza restaurant chain based in the United States and the Philippines. Founded in 1954, it was the first franchise pizza chain in the United States. In 1968, the chain had 342 loc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakey's_Pizza

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“The survey, conducted between March 2025 and February 2026 as part of the organization’s annual restaurant rankings report, found Pizza Hut earned 19.1% of votes for best-tasting fast-food pizza, compared with Domino’s at 17.1%.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general survey exists, the specific dates (March 2025 to February 2026) and the exact percentages (19.1% vs 17.1%) are not independently corroborated by the provided evidence snippets, though they appear in the context of the reporting.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United Kingdom government crisis emerged amid mounting public dissatisfaction with the Starmer ministry. Combined with a prolonged cost-of-living crisis, as well as numerous protests and riot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_Kingdom_government…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States elections are scheduled to be held, in large part, on November 3, 2026. In these midterm elections, scheduled to occur during Republican president Donald Trump's nonconsecutive …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_elections

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — YouGov plc is an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia–Pacific.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouGov

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“Papa John’s (11.4%), Little Caesars (5.3%), and Marco’s Pizza (4.7%) rounded out the top five.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific percentages for Papa John's, Little Caesars, and Marco's Pizza are not corroborated by independent sources in the provided evidence.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC, commonly referred to as Jimmy John's, is an American multinational sandwich chain, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The business was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_John's

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Long John Silver's, LLC is an American chain of fast-food restaurants that specializes in seafood. The brand's name is derived from the character of the same name from Robert Louis Stevenson's novel T…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_John_Silver's

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

“Frozen pizza sales reached about $7 billion in 2024 as consumers cut back on takeout spending, Tasting Table recently reported.”

CORROBORATED

The claim that frozen pizza sales reached $7 billion in 2024 as reported by Tasting Table is mentioned in the Fox News search result.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Coffee cupping, or coffee tasting, is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. It is a professional practice but can be done informally by anyone or by professionals known as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_cupping

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Geoff Bartakovics is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and the author of a cookbook, Tasting Table: Cooking with Friends, published by Flatiron Books in 2019. He is the co-founder and former CEO …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Bartakovics

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tasting Table (incorporated as TDT Media Inc.) is an American digital media company focused on food and drink. The brand's website and email newsletter report on food and drink trends in the categorie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasting_Table

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

“More than one in five respondents said local or regional pizza brands beat the national chains altogether.”

CORROBORATED

Both AOL and Fox News report that more than a fifth (over 20%) of respondents preferred local or regional brands.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of nationwide public opinion polls that were conducted relating to the general election for the 2024 United States presidential election. Those named in the polls were declared candidat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationwide_opinion_polling_for…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Various organisations continually conduct opinion polls to gauge voter intention in anticipation of the next United Kingdom general election. The next general election must be held no later than 15 Au…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_U…

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

“Pizza Hut was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1958 and started franchising a year later.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Multiple web sources and Wikipedia confirm Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Pizza Hut, LLC is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by brothers Dan and Frank Carney.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza_Hut

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Executive summary Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by brothers Dan and Frank Carney, who opened the first restaurant on May 31, 1958, us...
https://factually.co/fact-checks/business/pizza-hut-founded-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The history of Pizza Hut dates back to 1958 in Wichita, Kansas with two college-aged brothers Dan and Frank Carney. The Carney brothers were both Wichita State University students who decided to open …
https://www.wideopencountry.com/pizza-hut-history/

info

“Now headquartered in Plano, Texas, Pizza Hut has nearly 20,000 locations in more than 100 countries, according to its website.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic homepages for Pizza Hut, &pizza, and Papa Johns, and does not confirm the headquarters location or the specific number of locations.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Fill it with Pizza! Added to order! Discover classic & new menu items, find deals and enjoy seamless ordering for delivery and carryout. No One OutPizzas the Hut®.
https://www.pizzahut.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — &pizza is a fast-casual pizza brand built on bold flavor, personal expression, and community vibes.
https://andpizza.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Enjoy the ease of ordering delicious pizza for delivery or carryout from a Papa Johns near you. Start tracking the speed of your delivery and earn rewards on your favorite pizza, breadsticks, wings an…
https://www.papajohns.com/

verified

“Domino’s opened its first restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, two years after Pizza Hut.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms Domino's was founded in 1960 (two years after Pizza Hut's 1958 founding), and Fox News specifies the first restaurant was in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960. The corporation is Delaware-domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms office park in Ann Arbor Townshi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domino's

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Domino's restaurant exterior Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock. Domino's is such a popular pizza franchise that it may be hard to imagine they were ever called anything else. However, as Domino's shares on …
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1196129/fast-food-restaurants-t…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Domino's opened its first restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, two years after Pizza Hut. Originally called DomiNick's Pizza, it was renamed Domino's in 1965 and opened its first franchise location in 1…
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/americas-best-tasting-piz…

check_circle

“Originally called DomiNick’s Pizza, it was renamed Domino’s in 1965 and opened its first franchise location in 1967.”

CORROBORATED

Fox News explicitly states it was originally called DomiNick's Pizza, renamed Domino's in 1965, and opened its first franchise in 1967. This is supported by the '12 Fast Food Restaurants' web search result regarding the name change.

info

“Domino’s now has more than 22,300 locations worldwide, according to its website.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figure of more than 22,300 locations is reported by Fox News citing the company website, but not independently corroborated by other sources in the evidence.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

eFinder

eFinder

America’s favorite pizza chain has ‘nostalgia factor’ that edges out competition, survey shows

fact_checkFact-Check Results