Pizza Hut Israel

Tabasco Holdings has held the Israeli Pizza Hut franchise since 2008, and a 2026 account identified Udi Shamai and Yoram Bauman as its operators.[2] The business combines Tabasco-owned branches with independently operated franchises; in 2026, several dozen branches belonged to Tabasco and the remainder were operated by franchisees.[2] Its legal terms identify Tabasco Holdings Ltd., company number 514179803, as the operator of the website and dedicated mobile app, including authorized franchisees acting on its behalf.[1]

The chain has a nationwide presence and was described in 2026 as having more branches than any other Israeli pizza chain.[2] Its Israeli offering includes delivery and family seating, dairy menus, and kosher certification at many locations.[7] Certification categories listed by the company include local rabbinate, mehadrin local rabbinate, Badatz Beit Yosef, and Badatz Mehadrin Rabbi Rubin.[5] Menu adaptations range from vegan and gluten-free pizzas to locally themed products such as malawach, knafeh, and ziva pizzas.[8][9]

Published accounts give different dates for Pizza Hut’s start in Israel. A 2017 profile listed 1988, while a 2018 account said the chain entered through Clal Retail Chains in 1989.[10][7] Other reports say it had operated since 1990 or recall the first branch opening at Dizengoff Center in 1991.[3][11] Restaurateur Gadi Granot described the business as a training ground for managers who subsequently worked in Israel’s food industry.[11] By the period covered in the FY 1999 commercial guide, Pizza Hut had a strong presence in Israel’s fast-food franchising sector.[12] Franchising had become increasingly popular after its introduction to Israel in the mid-1980s, particularly in fast food, where American companies accounted for more than half of the franchise market.[12]

In 2004, the Israeli chain shifted from a restaurant format toward delivery-oriented branches that retained seating areas.[7] Shamai joined Dudi Weissman’s operation that year and bought the Pizza Hut franchise in 2008 for NIS 27 million.[10] Tabasco Holdings acquired the franchise from the Dor Alon group.[7] A 2017 ownership profile recorded Shamai’s holding as 85% and Niv Zilberstein’s as 15%; the later 2026 account identified Shamai and Bauman as the operators of Tabasco Holdings.[10][2]

In 2013, the network comprised 50 branches, of which 20 were company-owned and 30 were operated by franchisees.[13] The Israeli operator had recently obtained permission from the international company to grant franchises and planned to reach 70 branches within two years.[13] At that time, a franchise cost $45,000 for a 20-year term, with royalties of 6% of net sales: 3% went to the Israeli operator and the remainder to the international company.[13]

A 2017 profile listed 87 branches, 3,500 employees, and approximately NIS 250 million in combined managed turnover for 2016.[10] In 2018, the network comprised 85 branches, including 22 owned by Tabasco and the remainder operated by franchisees.[7] By 2021, it had 92 branches, 72 of them franchised, with approximately 700 people employed directly and another 2,300 through franchisees.[14] During the COVID-19 period, 25 branches were making short-distance deliveries.[14] Plans for 2021 included at least five additional branches and a move toward smaller, more compact premises with less seating.[14]

Subsequent dated branch totals included 106 in 2024, 107 in February 2025, and 92 in February 2026.[8][15][3] A November 2026 mapping counted 102 Pizza Hut branches across 78 localities.[16] That survey covered 481 branches belonging to 11 chains with more than ten branches each, and measured branch numbers rather than sales-based market share.[16]

In January 2026, Pizza Hut won a tender for two branches at Ben-Gurion Airport: one in the Shehakim complex before security screening and another in the duty-free area after security.[17] The former was intended to serve airport employees, accompanying visitors, and travelers before screening, while the latter would serve departing passengers.[17] Plans called for familiar menu items adapted to the airport setting, including smaller portions and food suitable for consumption during flights.[17] CEO Idit Bachar presented the tender as part of the chain’s continued local growth and its ambition to operate at a major Israeli travel hub.[17]

In 2003, 92% of the chain’s pizzas were Pan-style thick-crust pizzas; by 2017, Shamai said 50% of its pizzas used thin crust.[10] Thick-crust pizza represented about half of pizza sales in February 2026.[3] In 2017, Shamai said specialty pizzas, particularly Cheesy Bites, made up half the menu.[10] The 2018 selection included Cheesy Bites with mozzarella pieces in the crust, cream-cheese decorations, spicy pizzas, gluten-free pizza, whole-wheat dough, and vegan pizza.[7]

All branches offered a dairy menu in 2018, and approximately 80% then held a stringent kosher certificate.[7] Kosher status and Saturday opening nevertheless vary by location.[18] The branch directory lists the airport Skyways branch as Badatz Beit Yosef kosher, while the airport Duty Free branch and Jerusalem–Shuafat branch are listed as non-kosher and open on Shabbat.[18]

The chain offered gluten-free pizza by 2017, when Shamai said customer response had exceeded expectations.[10] A February 2025 introduction developed with Molino Bakery used Kemach Haaretz’s Green Baking Mix and separate preparation areas at branches.[15] The two versions described were a Margherita and a white pizza with mushrooms, truffle cream sauce, and pineapple.[15] The company’s gluten-free offering uses Molino Bakery dough and includes Margherita, with or without toppings, and a white specialty version across its network of more than 100 branches.[6] Preparation procedures specify a separate gluten-free area and separate cheese and sauce, but not a separate oven or a cover over the pizza.[6]

The vegan selection has also changed over time: a 2017 interview described vegan pizza without cheese, while the company’s vegan menu lists cheese from the Israeli brand משומשו, or Muchomashu.[10][9] That pizza has a thin crust and vegan mozzarella-filled edges.[9] Other vegan items include Melts with roasted pepper, red onion, corn, green olives, jalapeño, and soy-protein pieces, along with salads, fries, and potato wedges.[9]

Locally themed products highlighted in 2024 included malawach pizza, knafeh pizza, and ziva pizza.[8] The knafeh version, introduced in late 2022, placed mozzarella, ricotta, salty Tzfatit cheese, and kataifi pastry on pizza dough, then added syrup and ground pistachios.[4] It was offered on the nationwide menu.[4] Another product, the 65-centimeter “Giant” pizza, cost NIS 169 in 2024 and came in a 70-centimeter box that was described as fitting only in a car trunk.[8]

In February 2026, Pizza Hut Israel and Tabasco introduced a spicy pizza for pickup and delivery across Israel.[3] It combined the chain’s classic dough with Tabasco Original Sauce, jalapeños in the crust, and additional jalapeños and red chili peppers on top.[3] The listed price was NIS 89 for a family-sized pizza, with optional Tabasco bottles costing NIS 4 for 3.7 milliliters or NIS 12 for 60 milliliters.[3]

By 2018, digital channels accounted for 40% of Pizza Hut Israel’s orders, including its mobile-optimized website, apps, and a Messenger chatbot.[7] Its Dragontail system allowed customers to follow order progress and delivery.[7] The company’s FAQ lists ordering through its website and app, while some branches also accept orders through Ten Bis, Cibus, Wolt, Mishloha, and Goodi.[19] Orders can be delivered or collected, and deliveries may be handled by the chain’s couriers or an external courier service.[1]

In 2020, Pizza Hut Israel developed a WhatsApp ordering service with Israeli company Tictuk.[20] Customers could complete an order inside the messaging app without opening an external webpage, using bots rather than human agents.[20] The system synchronized payments, menus, and delivery areas.[20] WhatsApp order tracking was not available at launch, although it was planned for a later version.[20]

A separate technology initiative involved Hyper Food Robotics and a proposed fully automated Pizza Hut branch in 2021.[21] The project was led by Shamai, who described software controlling the system, with more than 100 sensors and around 40 AI cameras monitoring pizzas.[21] At the time, the project was awaiting permits and facility-inspector approval rather than operating as an approved branch.[21]

Plans for an autonomous branch at Drorim Mall described a 12-square-meter metal structure containing four robotic arms, 120 sensors, 20 AI-based cameras, two ovens, and cutting, packing, and collection stations.[22] Its reported capacity was 60 pizzas per hour, with couriers collecting packed orders from an external drawer and a worker supervising the initial operating phase.[22] The proposed equipment had a product limitation: it could not prepare a Pizza Hut pizza whose sauce contained tomato pieces using its standard setup.[22]

Pizza Hut’s presence in the late-1990s fast-food franchise market placed it among the American companies participating in the expansion of franchising in Israel.[12] Its subsequent network combined directly operated stores and local franchisees, with approximately 3,000 people employed across those two parts of the business in 2021.[14] In February 2025, it was described as Israel’s largest pizza chain, while the 2026 ownership account identified it as the leader by branch count.[15][2]

Its menu also participated in the wider popularity of knafeh in Israel.[4] Some Jewish Israelis had eaten the dessert for decades, but it entered mainstream society in the 2010s and became especially popular after Yaffa Knafeh opened in Jaffa’s flea market in 2019.[4] In subsequent years, knafeh shops multiplied and versions of the dessert appeared on menus across Tel Aviv-Jaffa.[4] Pizza Hut’s nationwide knafeh pizza extended that trend into a large pizza-chain menu.[4]

Prices drew international comparison in January 2023, when a comparison based on a NetCredit report placed Israel fourth-highest for the price of a regular large Pizza Hut cheese pizza, averaging about US$21.30.[23] The same account characterized Pizza Hut as widespread and one of Israel’s largest pizza chains.[23]

In May 2017, Pizza Hut Israel posted a Facebook advertisement using a screenshot from Israel Prison Service footage that appeared to show Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti eating during a hunger strike.[24] The image included a digitally added Pizza Hut box and slice, with text asking whether pizza would be a better way to break the strike.[24] Palestinians disputed the footage’s authenticity.[24] The post was removed, Pizza Hut International called it “completely inappropriate,” and the Israeli advertising firm responsible was dismissed.[24] A Palestinian prisoners’ committee called off its boycott after accepting the apology.[24] Shamai later described the episode as one of the chain’s hardest moments and said the resulting boycott controversy had nearly cost the Israeli operation its franchise.[10]

A March 2025 product teaser drew backlash for resembling news coverage of hostage releases from Hamas captivity.[25] Its mock report included the line, “We see him coming, there are no delays,” before announcing that a product would soon be available in Israel.[25] Pizza Hut Israel removed the advertisement, denied intending a reference to hostage releases, apologized to those offended, and expressed hope for the hostages’ quick return.[25]

The late-2022 knafeh pizza attracted criticism online and in local media, prompting an unresolved debate about culinary appropriation, commercialization, and whether the product instead made the dessert more accessible.[4] Separately, Pizza Hut ended cooperation with Ten Bis in 2017 over commissions that co-owner Zilberstein described as excessive, including delivery charges of up to 10%.[26] Pizza Hut estimated that the arrangement represented NIS 2.5 million in annual sales; Ten Bis characterized the matter as a commercial disagreement and disputed Zilberstein’s characterization of the company.[26]