Pizza Hut Call Center Abruptly Closes, Leaving 100 People Jobless, Because Consumers' Pizza Habits Have Changed

A Springfield, Missouri, call center that processed orders for Pizza Hut locations all over the country closed abruptly on Wednesday, August 12, leaving more than 100 people without jobs.

NPC International, the Kansas-based company that operated the call center until Wednesday, attributed the closure — of which employees had no notice — to the fact that Americans' pizza-ordering habits have changed over the last several years.

According to its website, NPC International is the largest Pizza Hut franchisee in the world, with locations across 28 states.

Pizza Hut locations take direct orders by phone, but calls are transferred to the call center when a restaurant's line is busy. Until fairly recently, that was a stable business model.

One employee told 11 Alive, an NBC affiliate, that she had stopped by the call center on Tuesday, August 11, to find out her schedule and was told to return the next day. When she came back on Wednesday, she saw a note on the door explaining that the center was closed permanently.

"This is not a reflection on your performance and we appreciate the great customer service that you have provided for many years," a note from the center's manager stated.

"This closure is due to decline in call center orders caused by an increase in internet orders and the fact that more customers are calling stores directly and they are answering more and more of their own calls... In the event that you would like to apply at any of the local Pizza Huts please do as we are always in need of good employees."