Two local Pizza Huts have been shuttered including one named the Carmi Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year just over a month ago. The Mt. Carmel Pizza Hut, owned by the same franchisee, was closed abruptly last Saturday. Carmi is now permanently closed as of 10pm Wednesday night. Local manager Brittany Rutledge, who has worked there since April of 2024 and took over management duties in May of this year says the team was heartbroken to learn the news Wednesday night. Another employee, one of about twenty, says a meeting was scheduled last Thursday for Wednesday through the work group chat and they were told it would involve the district manager at 8pm. Despite the efforts of the staff to revitalize the store, it came down to brass tacks we’re told.
So basically the store needed a remodel and it was going to cost about $250,000 but we’d have to make another $1,500 a day [over what we were] to be able to pay that off in a reasonable amount of time.
Some employees may have a chance to go work at the Pizza Hut in Harrisburg. Many are going to be looking for jobs closer.
Rutledge would go on to say.
It’s disheartening to share that Pizza Hut has closed its doors for good. We’re deeply saddened by this news, as we genuinely believed we were turning things around and doing a great job. Although business had started to pick up this year due to new management and staff, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to keep the doors open.