Pizza Hut, the YUM! Brands chain known for pushing the limits of traditional pizzas, will launch a new pizza with hot-dog crust next week on the menu of its 6,300 U.S. restaurants in an attempt to bolster sales.
The Hot Dog Bites Pizza comprises of 28 "premium hot dog bites" baked directly into the crust of the pie, which is served with a side of mustard and costs $11.99, Bloomberg reported.
"Pizza Hut has created the perfect combination for American taste buds," the company said in a statement. A slightly different variation of the hot-dog pizza was already available in other countries before it made its way to the U.S. market, according to Fortune.
Pizza Hut first introduced the Hot Dog Bites Pizza in some Asian countries in 2011 before bringing it to other countries such as U.K., Thailand, Australia, Canada and the Middle East.
"We wanted to do it in a way that was true to the way that an American would interact with two of their favorite foods," a Pizza Hut spokesman told Today. "We haven't done it this way anywhere else around the world and we think we really nailed it. Especially with the mustard on the side [instead of a mustard drizzle]."
Greg Creed, CEO of Yum! Brands, said he was not content with the fast-food chain's performance since the launch of its new menu in 2014. In the most recent quarter, Pizza Hut's same-store sales were almost on par with sales from the previous year. Creed said the chain hasn't accomplished much with its marketing and that it may have lost sight of "mainstream pizza customers" in favor of chasing the millennial generation.
The chain has been struggling against the growing perception that fast food poses health risks, resulting in more and more people to choose healthier options.
Americans who are still willing to give fast food a chance will only have to wait until June 18 to get their hands on Pizza Hut's new hot-dog pizza.
