Going strong for 25 years

Burns Rutty, a fifth generation Caymanian, already had several irons in the fire when he met Alan Pottasch out on the patio at the Tortuga Club in East End 26 years ago. The late Mr. Pottasch owned a vacation home in East End and was a regular visitor to Grand Cayman. He was also the senior vice president of Pepsi Cola, which owned Pizza Hut. 

Mr. Pottasch evidently knew an entrepreneur when he saw one: Mr. Rutty had been involved in hospitality, shipping, diving, apartment rentals and had brought the first fast food outlet, Burger King, to Grand Cayman. He was also elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (Parliament) and the Executive Council (now known as Cabinet) at the tender age of 30.  

In his professional life, Alan Pottasch was a friend of the president of Pizza Hut in the US and urged Mr. Rutty to consider opening a restaurant in Cayman. The Pizza Hut franchise was already well established in the US at the time. In fact, Pizza Hut had been the No. 1 pizza restaurant in the world since 1971. As a brand its growth had been rapid and widespread – the very first Pizza Hut had opened just 13 years earlier, on a $600 budget, by two college students.  

Burns Rutty could see that the Cayman Islands was ready for just such a restaurant. Although pizzas were served at a couple of small establishments, there was nothing like Pizza Hut on the Island at the time.  

Mr. Rutty, along with partners James and Rosemary Bodden (of Bodden Beverages), found a location on Seven Mile Beach and in 1987 opened the first Pizza Hut in the Cayman Islands.  

It was a resounding success from the outset, among both residents and tourists, with people queuing up outside the door to get their deep dish pizzas, salads, pasta dishes and sandwiches. The dough, which is made fresh daily, with the finest flour, is perhaps one of the keys to Pizza Hut’s enduring popularity.  

It wasn’t long before the success of the pizza restaurant warranted the opening of a second location. The second Pizza Hut was a delivery and take out location at Red Bay Plaza. This location enjoyed an excellent evening trade as residents on their way home from work would stop by and pick up their dinner. However, the construction of the new highway meant that the Red Bay location had to be pulled down. The Island’s second Pizza Hut relocated to Countryside Shopping Village in Savannah.  

Both the Red Bay and SMB locations suffered a setback following Hurricane Ivan in 2004, with the interiors having to be completely refitted and all new equipment installed. Pizza Hut was more fortunate than many, though, in that the exteriors remained relatively unscathed.  

Pizza Hut’s global directors clearly adhere to the “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” school of thought, and knowing they had a winning formula on their hands, reassuringly little has changed over the years. The menu remains essentially the same as it has always been, and interestingly, and even the prices have barely changed in 25 years. 

The management of Pizza Hut in the Cayman Islands is committed to maintaining the standards and quality that their loyal customers have come to expect. Looking to the future, the company is hoping to expand its delivery and take out locations to Grand Harbour and Frank Sound.