Red Rooster in Traralgon, Australia

Did you know that:
1) There is is place called Traralgon that is NOT a typo made by a drunk cartographer?
2) There is a restaurant called "Red Rooster" that the locals call "Red Rooter" because "rooter" is slang for the F word (trying to keep my blog more kid-friendly since I assume that increases in childhood obesity lead more and more kids each year to search for blogs about Pizza Hut)?
3) There was a Pizza Hut some place that is NO LONGER A PIZZA HUT. Wait, that's not the name of the blog. Let me try that again. Did you know that there is a Pizza Hut some place that USED TO BE A.... crap. Well, you know what I am getting at here, right?

This strangely elevated Red Roo(s)ter in Tarragon (or Algernon, or something) Australia was indeed once a Pizza Hut. Man, the land down under is rife with old Pizza Huts, which leads me to the only logical conclusion: that Australia was an awesome place to live in the 80s.

Check the before and after of this beaut and let me know what you think in the comments.

Mentions Galore

Wow, lots of great mentions from some seriously awesome blogs over the past few days. First, from HuffPo (as those of us in the know call it), was a mention in an article about the 34 Greatest Moments in Pizza History from 2013. The triumphant return of this blog (their words, not mine) was deserving of the 18th spot on this list. For this, I was both surprised and humbled, as I did not see the triumphant return of this blog as being any higher than maybe #27 on the year.

Shortly after the HuffPo article was published, I was contacted by the Atlantic Cities blog (not to be confused with Atlantic City's blog, which is pretty much the same but with a fake orange tan and greasy hair) for an interview. The reporter kindly ignored my screaming kids in the background and even managed to mishear some of their crying as intelligent observations regarding the tie-in between architecture and brand awareness.

And then today I noticed that Consumerist.com could not help but join in the pizza party themselves, profiling my blog as well as some other similar blog not worth visiting.

More than anything, the new visitors to the site help bring even more content via reader submission, so I am eternally grateful (and confused) by the willingness of the readers to risk their lives to snap photos of old Pizza Huts from the medians of highways (or just to sit in their mom's basements and browse Google Street View).

Whichever.

Carlos 1800 Mexican Grill in Wenatchee, WA

Loyal reader Brian R. risked life and limb clamoring across several lanes of busy traffic in the booming metropolis of Wenatchee, WA to snap this photo of Carlos 1800 Mexican Grill.  Thanks, Brian. Keep those submissions coming.

Chinese Star in Houston, TX

Janie, the submitter, claims that this place is "actually surprisingly really tasty." I find her presuppositions upon which this review is based both insulting and lazy, but I will forgive her, since her Gmail account avatar that showed up in the email she sent was actually surprisingly really cute.

Although, it is high time that I made a proclamation, so here goes: banners tied to windows are not signs. Unless you are letting people know that you are still open following a natural disaster, there is no excuse to have anything besides a sturdy, painted, mounted sign up. Backlighting preferred but not required.

Red Rock Bar & Grill in Whyalla, South Australia

Some paranoid Aussie (who prefers to remain nameless) submitted this one with the follow message:

I was a dishwasher and delivery boy when this was a Pizza Hut. The bins stank and crickets used to come up through the bathroom drains. Its current owners were very nervous about my smartphone snaps. To my knowledge, it's not illegal to take a photo of a building in South Australia, but they sent a guy out to question me who not-so-subtly committed my plates to memory.
He said they'd had a lot of break-ins lately, and then I felt bad. So, I went in to find the manager and explain. She said she had taken a picture of me to give to police!
Fair enough, I guess. I don't care that they thought I was a criminal, but I'm insulted they thought me dumb enough to take recon photos in broad daylight, from my own parked car, during business hours.

Well, paranoid Aussie, we commend your heroic efforts and we thank you for intelligently waiting until after dark to properly case this establishment for your impending crime spree.

Let that be a lesson to the rest of you. It turns out the old Pizza Huts that we are photographing and mocking online are, themselves, photographing us, ostensibly for their own blog called "Used to be an Interesting Person."

Tipico's in Dallas, TX

Another day, another Pizza Hut turned Mexican place. Such a common occurrence at this point, that they may as well start just naming these places Spanish words that mean, "standard, commonplace, or normal." Maybe something like the Spanish word for "typical" would be good. OH WAIT, THAT IS WHAT IT IS!

I am sure this is a great place, and the income tax truck out front is probably also a great place to have your taxes done while you wait for your tostadas. 

Thanks to Christoper for the submission.

Subway Hut! - Palmerston North, New Zealand

I don't know if anything can top this. Found down in New Zealand, this UTBAPH (pronounced "utbaf," I hereby decree) entry is an absolute gem. This is the restaurant real estate equivalent of your wife leaving you for your brother. Sure, there are other pizza shops that open up in old Pizza Huts, but those aren't really major competitors to Pizza Hut, so it lacks the sting that this hermit crab shell swapping back stabbing Pepsi to Coke switching operation has, to mix like a gagillion metaphors.

Currently on Expedia trying to find the cheapest way to get to Palmerston North, NZ. I have to see this one in the flesh. 

Many thanks to our good friend Nemo for the find.

Chesapeake Pizza in Great Bridge, VA Did NOT Used to Be a Pizza Hut!

In my new series that I am calling "Places That Look Like They Could Have Used to Have Been Pizza Huts But Actually Were Not" (better name suggestions accepted), I would like to share one of my favorite pizza places of all time. Chesapeake Pizza in Great Bridge, VA was NEVER a Pizza Hut. Sure, it vaguely looks like it was one, but it was not. What it is, however, is delicious pizza and Greek salads (which always include the world's greatest crackers:

I try to hit this place whenever I am passing by on my way to the beach. Warning: cash only.

Former Pizza Hut for Sale! Be Your Own "UTBAPH" Entry! - West View, PA

Consider this your lucky day, friends. This beautiful former Pizza Hut has recently been reduced in price, and can be had for the I-can't-believe-it-they-are-basically-giving-it-away price of $375k. This happens to be not very far from where I live, in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. There used to be an amusement park (West View Park) on this very spot, so you are really getting a Used To Be A Pizza Hut that Used To Be An Amusement Park two-for-the-price-of-one deal here. 

Think about the options. This could be an Orange Julius, one of those used clothing stores that the goth kids go to (are there still goth kids, or all they all emo now?). It could be a car wash, a church, a stable for goats and other small livestock. The list goes on and on. 

The truth in advertising act commands that I show you a more recent photo of this fine establishment. As you can see, the branding is gone, as is the roof hump, and a paint job and overgrowth of bushes are trying to hide this place, as if in embarrassment. Sad, really.

Thanks to Fred for the submission. Now get out there and get a bid in on this place before it is too late!

Sardi's Pollo a La Brasa Charcoal Broiled Chicken, Beltsville, MD

Now we are talking. I did some digging and this place gets fantastic reviews on Google as having "delicious, no-frills Peruvian food." I personally tire of all of the frills that you can't seem to escape in Peruvian food, so this place seems like a breath of fresh air, and I personally plan on visiting next time I find myself in or around Beltsville. Thanks for the submission (and the dining recommendation), Fred.

Bennett Babies/Career Institute, Washington, DC

Thanks to loyal fan Fred, we have this utterly sad example of a Pizza Hut that has turned into the world's sketchiest looking daycare/career institute.

Value Roofing

Value Roofing did NOT, in fact, used to be a Pizza Hut. They did, however thoroughly enjoy this blog and were kind enough to mention it in one of their own blog posts recently. Be sure to check it out.

Liquorland in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Another fantastic international entry, this is a grog shop (local lingo for liquor store, I understand) in the Land Down Under. So little was done to this one, I really enjoy it. Original red roof with new signage. Boarded up windows. Great specimen. Thanks for the submission, Nemo!

Kaos Adult Koncepts, Brisbane, Australia

An excellent international entry, submitted by Nemo, this place has it all. Signature roof, toys and lingerie, DVD's (with a completely unnecessary apostrophe), and an OPEN sign right on the banner, which I assume just means it is always open. I am pretty sure that the windows are blacked out here for the privacy of patrons, because nothing is more embarrassing than visiting an establishment that used to be a pizza hut.

Guadalajara Bar & Grill, Virginia Beach, VA

This place did some pretty elaborate stuff to hide its past self from us. I am beginning to suspect that shitty Mexican places that aren't in former Pizza Huts are passed over by those in the know. Also submitted by Azoraa, who claims that this area is overrun with Mexican joints.

San Jose Taqueria, Virginia Beach, VA

You might think that, if you were going to put a fake palm tree out front, you would get one that didn't look like a toothpick with some parsley on top. You would be wrong.

I feel like I have actually been to this place. It was submitted by Azoraa.

Jamestown Oven & Grill, Jamestown, NC

The Jamestown Oven & Grill in Jamestown, NC removed the roof bump, added vertical shutters, and even planted some nice bushes out front to keep you from knowing about its dirty secret history slinging low quality pizza. Submitted by Jim.

El Charro Mexican Restaurant in Topeka, KS

Submitted by Adrian, this place allegedly remains unchanged inside from its former days as a Pizza Hut. I suspect that many of the former employees continued to work here before, during, and after the transition. Talk about convenient.

Sidelines in Salem, MA

Alert reader Marcel sent in this example of a sports bar in Salem, MA called Sidelines Sportsbar & Grill, a fine place to grab a Sam Adams and watch the Pats lose a Super Bowl, I'm sure.

Technically, This Used to Be a Pizza Hut in Vero Beach, FL

"Don't worry, we stretched some hoses across the parking lot. This fire will be out in no time." - Some firefighter on his first day on the job.

Submitted by, you guessed it, Steve R. 

Liberty Income Tax in Cayce, SC

Free tuition tax course being offered here, so I don't see why you wouldn't take them up on that. Submitted again by rockstar Steve R.

Taj Express in Dallas, Texas

And last but not least from Steve R. is the Taj Express in Dallas, Texas. Signature window angles negate any attempt made at replacing the roof, although the exterior paint job is quite nice. I feel like this is a place I would actually check out if my travels ever brought me to Dallas.

Sewing World in Grapevine, Texas

Man, Steve R. is on a roll today. This next submission from our soon-to-be-best-friend Steve is Sewing World, located in beautiful Grapevine, Texas. Self-explanatory in purpose, Sewing World did a nice job removing the signature roof hump and covering up the hot, slick red roof with some good old fashioned composite shingle from the Home Depot. But the windows and the paneling below the window line tell us all we need to know about this beautiful specimen.

Northwest Washateria/Washteria in Dallas, Texas

Someone found something to do with an old Pizza Hut that is even more irrelevant than an actual Pizza Hut. What is a "Washateria," you ask? And why are the two very prominent signs spelled differently?Well, that is all part of the charm and mystery of the Northwest Wash(a)teria in Dallas. Thanks for the submission, Steve R. 

Movie House in Garland, Texas

From loyal reader Steve R. Who are the clientele requiring check cashing at the same place which rents out your favorite movies in VHS format? Why, you will have to pay a quick visit to Garland, Texas to find out yourself.

Le Peep Restaurant in Shrewsbury, NJ

Submitted by Dave

Update:

This is now a Nails Plus:

Boot & Shoe Repair in McAlester, OK

Submitted by my cousin, Brian, this one pretty much looks abandoned but is apparently a boot & shoe repair place, which is actually harder to believe would be in business than the original Pizza Hut that it replaced. When is the last time you took a shoe in to be repaired? Never. That's what Zappos.com is for.

Good luck to whatever ends up here next.

O Asian Fusion in Norman, OK

O Asian Fusion, submitted by Brett