Foursquare!

For all of you Fouraquare users out there, you can now save the list of all of the UTBAPHs on the site (that are still open) to your Foursquare account to find out which ones are closest to you and check them off as you visit them.

Click here to view the list

If you don't use Foursquare, this is the perfect excuse to sign up. New UTBAPHs that get added to the site will be added to the list so that you can always stay up-to-date.

Nero's in Gosnells, Australia

Don't let the big "Now Open" sign fool you. Nero's, sadly, is closed. But fear not, Gosnellians. I am told that a new place has opened up in this spot that is Indian/Italian. Yes, you read that right, and no, I have literally no idea what that could possibly mean. Tandoori Chicken Cacciatore? Curry Alfredo? Pasta Biryani? Maybe the submitter, Mike, can shed some light.

Whatever the hell it is, our team of researchers is working hard to get an updated photo of this place. We will keep you posted.

Cashland in Piqua, OH

NEED CASH FASTBRING US IPODLAPTOPS DVDS& MUCH MOREThat is what the sign says. I don't personally have an iPod. Always been more of a Zune guy. No chance they take one of them, but I still like the thought of going into the old Pizza Hut and getting something other than questionable service and a stomach ache. Maybe they will take my Archos Jukebox.

Pour Some Out for Our Fallen Brother in Chicago, IL

It is never easy to report this kind of news, so I am just going to get right to it. We recently lost a brother, as depicted in the chalk outline below.

A life cut too short, this UTBAPH once thrived in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago but slowly withered away, feeling out of place in a world overtaken by the dreaded D&Ds (delivery and DiGiorno). Cordoned off like a crime scene, from this overhead view you can still make out the distinct flooring of the seating area, the entrance, and even the spot in the middle of the seating area where the buffet sat. Below you can see a photo taken of this UTBAPH shortly before its demise, looking haggard and neglected. No doubt, some new thriving business will take its place, but not before we take a few minutes to remember our long lost brother. Rest in peace, UTBAPH. You belong to the ages now.

Don Jose in Colonial Heights, VA

Another day, another Pizza Hut-turned-Mexican joint. This one, Don Jose in Colonial Heights, VA, submitted by Nikki, got a pretty nice paint job with crazy shit painted in the windows. Or else there is just a volcano in there. Either way, fun!

Of course, all of you culturally aware readers of this blog are familiar with Don Jose, the namesake of this fine place. Don Jose was, obviously, the Corporal of Dragoons (played by Paul Lherie in the original 1875 cast) in the four-act opera by the French composer Georges Bizet. While the critical reception was mixed in the first New York performance at the Metropolitan Opera in 1884, the audience slowly came around and it was soon incorporated into the Met's regular repertory.

Bah I'm just kidding. It was probably named for one of the owner's uncles or something because "El Pollo Loco" was already taken.

HUB Insurance in Kamloops, British Columbia

I can't quite figure out why there are mountains in the background of Kamloops, BC that look like the roofline of an old Pizza Hut, but who cares. That's awesome. 

There is no mistaking this HUB Insurance location (submitted by Mark) for anything other than a former Pizza Hut. A quick paint job on the roof (and I would be surprised if the old Pizza Hut sign wasn't underneath the big sign on the roof hump) is really all that was done to this one. I bet you even get some breadsticks with your term life insurance.

Fat Pocket Pawn in North Versailles, PA

You're in a pinch, and you know it. You found yourself, somehow, in North Versailles (pronounced "ver-sales," yes way) Pennsylvania, and you need some cash, or, perhaps, you need more shit in your house. Either way, goldmine here (literally), as Fat Pocket Pawn will be glad to buy shit from you way below market value and sell other (or hell, even the same) shit to you way above market value. Hey, their pockets didn't get fat on fair market value, buddy. Besides, you are in a pinch. Now don't go in here expecting to see some bald guy and bunch of cameras making a reality show. This is not that sort of pawn shop. There is not anything signed by anyone famous in here. There aren't any historians inside explaining the significance of a pre-Civil War hand-crafted wood-inlayed bureau to anyone. Just some meth heads with stolen power tools. And, one more time, it's VER-SALES. Just in case you thought it sounded like a classy town. Thanks to Ryan for the submission.

Seoul Hoikwan Restaurant in Belfield, Australia

Just outside of Sydney, Australia, you may come across the Seoul Hoikwan Restaurant in the neighborhood of Belfield. Submitted by Mike, I really enjoy the classic architecture of this UTBAPH. Trapezoidal windows with exterior windowsills that drip nearly down to the ground are a nice touch. This place is clearly just a quick sandblast away from being back to its original form. 

Built in 1970, this is actually the first Pizza Hut to have been built in Australia. Before this, it was all vegemite sandwiches for the fine people down under. Hard to believe that this has not been turned into a museum, but I guess some people just don't appreciate history.

Subway/Domino's in Gladesville, New South Wales, Australia

There are not words to do this photo justice, so let me just say that if the Mayans were right but just off by a little bit, I will be fine dying in terrible fiery circumstances just knowing that this exists.

Tim, the submitter, has made this blog completely worth all of the work that I have put into it. 

BRB have to book a flight to Gladesville before the apocalypse starts.

Souvlaki Hut in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia

You Aussies sure know how to make up town names that look like I fell asleep on my keyboard. Dandenong? Alright, well, whatever. My spell checker gave up months ago anyway.Souvlaki Hut, submitted by Tim, is pretty badass, if I do say so myself.  For those who are unaware, Souvlaki is a greek dish consisting of probably lamb or something. And most likely some skewers.But, Greek as it may be, this place almost looks more Ikea meets Pizza Hut than anything else. I bet they have weird, overly-complicated wordless directions in there for how to put all of the meat on the skewers. 

Olsens Funerals in Revesby, New South Wales, Australia

This gem in the land down under is, yes, a funeral home. The first to be posted on this site, if I am not mistaken, this place has undergone some serious renovations since the Pizza Hut closed in the early 90s. Still, I bet the first few funerals held there had to have a few extra bouquets of flowers delivered to make sure that the pepperoni smell didn't come on "too strong for the mourners."

I hear that the old joke at this place is that they kept the ovens. Of course, they did not, and that is very insensitive of a joke to be telling during a eulogy, or so I was told by a very angry funeral director.

Thanks to James for passing this along. 

Community Family Practice in Duquesne, PA

There is so much to love about this place. A true place of healing and wonderment. A place seriously centered around making you feel better, helping you fine tune your body and keep it running long enough that you can enjoy your life to the fullest. But then, the Pizza Hut closed and some crappy family practice moved in. Sorry about that.I have to point out that, while I understand that this is a doctor's office, there is an inordinate amount of handicapped parking here. God forbid any of us able-bodied-but-lazy people need to get to this place. We have to park in the free lot up at Kennywood and ski lift our fat asses down the hill. (That's an inside joke for you locals.)Our friend Adam submitted this one, and says that he used to Book It! "like crazy" at this Pizza Hut. Book It!, for those who don't recall, was Pizza Hut's way of saying, "Oh, you read a book? Cool. Here is some shitty pizza! Bet you won't read books anymore!"

Big Wok Mongolian BBQ in Manhattan Beach, CA

I am not going to lie. I had a hard time believing Lauren when she claimed that this used to be a Pizza Hut. Nothing about it jumps out at me as having once been a Pizza Hut. But, again, I am forced to give benefit of the doubt to people who have foggy memories of having been places in the 90s. Plus a few Google searches lead me to believe that this restaurant (or the property, I can't tell which) is actually owned by Pizza Hut. The internet is never wrong.

I enjoy Mongolian food because I am pretty sure it is just Chinese food that you eat more of. Big Wok sounds like it can fulfill the need that I have to stuff massive amounts of fried rice into my face. A visit to Manhattan Beach, CA might be in my near future.

I might even have a birthday party there.

Cars 2 Credit in Lancaster, PA

So, it turns out that opening a crappy used car lot in a former Pizza Hut may not be the best business plan. I am using the previous posts on this blog as my empirical evidence for this hypothesis.

Loyal reader, Harrisburg native, and commercial real estate agent Amanda (who is now batting .500, for those keeping track) sent this one in in a fit of nostalgia, dreaming about that night in 1993 when she came to this Pizza Hut after her graduation rehearsal (if you don't practice graduating, you might graduate wrong).

There are a lot of landmarks along the Lincoln Highway that are worth noting -- That coffee-pot-shaped building in Bedford. The original location of the Leaning Tower of Pisa before it was moved to Italy (the fact checker has off today). And, of course, not this place, because no one really cares about how you put Whoomp! (There It Is) on the jukebox and then got drunk on cheap vodka and barfed all over the parking lot on that fateful graduation rehearsal evening in 1993.

Monte Carlo Pizza in Harrisburg, PA DID NOT Used to Be a Pizza Hut!

Not even close, but thanks for the submission, Amanda. I actually remember eating at this place as a kid. It may have been something else then, but definitely not a Pizza Hut.

Mediterranean Food Warehouse in Paraparaumu, New Zealand

In Paraparaumu, New Zealand, there is only one place that used to be a Nando's Chicken that Used to be a Pizza Hut that you can visit to get good, warehouse-style Mediterranean food, and that place is the Mediterranean Food Warehouse, right off of SH 1N. Personally, this one seems a little but suspect. I don't really see many of the telltale signs of a former Pizza Hut in this photo, but loyal reader Dan, who (I checked) is neither member of Flight of the Conchords, despite being from New Zealand, assures me that, at one time, this was, indeed, a Pizza Hut. Well I am not one to argue with a Kiwi over matters of local history, flightless birds, or locations with addresses that don't seem like real addresses, so I will trust our friend Dan and assume that either the former Nando's or the current MFW (I don't feel like typing all of that again) really did a number on this place. That is quite sad to me.Or else Dan is a liar.

FoxNews.com Loves UTBAPH

Filed under "Hey, now my dad will finally see my blog" news,  FoxNews.com had the insight to do an article about UTBAPH and even link to it from the front page for a little while.

They even did a nice slideshow of some of the better posts from the site. Now that Huffington Post and FoxNews have each linked to this blog, I feel like we have covered all ends of the political spectrum, so now there is no excuse for anyone to not Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Carewell Urgent Care in South Dennis, MA

When you are in South Dennis, MA, it is hard to think that anything can go wrong. Maybe in Dennis proper, where all of the Cape Cod gangs hang out, sure, you could get knifed over a bowl of chowder, but in easygoing South Dennis, injuries are rare.

But here in South Dennis, the sadness of the loss of a Pizza Hut was a lot to take for the townsfolk. Local resident and submitter, Duke, offered only a simple eulogy.

"She was a fine establishment. Out here we are people who believe in two things: Tom Brady and Pizza Hut. Whether it was choking in the big game or choking on an overabundance of greasy cheese, we yearn for the better times of both of our sacred icons."

But, alas, there is relief in the form of the CareWell Urgent Care Center. Whether you jumped out a window during a Super Bowl between the Pats and Giants, or smashed a hand while vandalizing a Giants' fan car after a different Super Bowl between the Pats and Giants, it is good to know that you can find respite in the old Pizza Hut.

Sometimes, we all need urgent care. Especially during the playoffs.

Latham Biryani Restaurant in Latham, NY

Somewhere outside of Schenectady, NY (which is probably more fun to say than to visit) is the town of Latham, NY (which is neither fun to say nor visit, if I had to guess). In Latham, all of the photos are blurry and everyone drives a Chevy Malibu. That is all I know about Latham, and I learned most of that from this photo.

Oh wait, plus the fact that there was once a Pizza Hut in Latham, which basically just means that Latham was populated sometime prior to 1987. As all good things must end, so did the lifespan of that old Pizza Hut, but lo! A new, better, nearly identically facaded restaurant has opened in the UTBAPHs place, the Latham Biryani, submitted by the lovely Kathleen who is most likely slightly out of focus and drives an Impreza (she is not from Latham).

Now, I don't know about you, but I love Indian food. And, just like most ethnic food, the places that open up in places that used to be other places are the BEST of the best. According to Foursquare, this place serves up an awesome lunch buffet, and, unless you know what the hell you are doing, buffet style is really the only way to eat Indian food. You don't want to order a whole plate of something and then find out that it is just that weird sweet yogurt noodle crap, right? Hell no! You want some naan, some of that chicken that they cook until it turns red, some of that green stuff that might be spinach and curds of some kind, and, last but not least, the curried vegetables. OH GOD THE CURRIED VEGETABLES PLEASE MAKE ME STOP EATING THEM I MIGHT EXPLODE RIGHT HERE AT THE BOOTH.

Yeah, so anyway, Indian food. UTBAPHs. Yeah. That'll do.

Soon to be a Chipotle in Novato, CA

Submitted by Jason, this UTBAPH has a storied history. First, of course, as a Pizza Hut. Then, for a while, it served up some Starbucks Coffee (as can still be detected in the scarred wood roof-hump). Now, much like a caterpillar becoming a beautiful butterfly, this majestic building will soon be a Chipotle.

Good on Starbucks for keeping a lot of the original design and roof hump. Let's hope that Chipotle has the same sense of history about them. After all, in one seriously crazy twist to this unusual lineage, Chipotle itself used to be McDonald's.

The Kappa Sig House at the University of Vermont DID NOT Used to Be a Pizza Hut

Kappa Sigma is a fraternity steeped in tradition, with high academic standards, allowing only the most socially polished dude-bros to attain brotherhood. It seems fitting, then, that the Kappa Sig house at the University of Vermont looks sort of like it used to be a Pizza Hut.

Work with me here.

The Kappa Sig house at the University of Vermont did NOT used to be a Pizza Hut. I would venture a guess that there are no fraternities in former Pizza Huts (and oh oh oh how wrong I would love to be if one of you basement-dwelling Street View junkies could prove otherwise). But it looks like it was a Pizza Hut maybe a little bit if you are kind of high stumbling down Main Street trying to make it to Nectar's for a kickass live show, bro, and that is good enough for this submission from the lovely Dana to make it onto the site.

Bro.

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant in Omaha, NE

What is it about Omaha? You people REALLY liked Pizza Hut at some point and then REALLY stopped liking them at some later point. I am not here to judge you, nay. In fact, I am thankful for your temperamental taste in pizza, as it has lead to a wealth of UTBAPHs to feed our hungry souls.

The Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant (submitted by Charles, who worked at this Pizza Hut in high school) gets fantastic reviews, assuming you can find the place (who needs signs when you can just direct people to the place that used to be a cigarette outlet that used to be a Pizza Hut?).

Easy Deal Auto Sales in Atlanta, GA

What a way to start the week. Shannon in Atlanta really stepped up the game with this find. Sometimes it is hard to tell which side of the razor wire is more desirable. The dog (look closely) guarding the door seems to imply, through his mean look and unpleasant smell (my Google Street View assumptions are highly accurate) that this is a place worth guarding. Au contraire, mon chien. 

But, as is advertised, once you scale the razor wire fence and fight with a rottweiler, you will find yourself making a pretty easy deal with the fine folks running this place. Never you mind the complete lack of cars here. After all, a complete lack of cars in the lot is sort of what got this place into UTBAPH status in the first place.

Facebook!

The graphics department of UTBAPH was up all night working on this graphic to announce our new Facebook page:

You can head over to our Facebook page right now and Like it. It will probably be the best thing you do this week. Sharing it with your friends would be even more amazing, and I would be eternally grateful to you for your anonymous, relatively effortless indication of support. 

Soprano's Pizzeria and Wings in York, PA

Soprano's Pizzeria & Wings, sadly, has apparently closed, making way for another UTBAPH to join the world hopefully soon. 

No roof hump, sure, but this place is (was) doing very little else to hide its past from us eagle-eyed UTBAPH spotters.  Submitted by loyal reader and all-around good guy Robert, I think that the backwards handicapped pavement markings (people in wheelchairs don't like going left, it seems) and odd name (shouldn't it either be "Pizzeria and Wing Joint" or else "Pizza and Wings"?) may have had a thing or two to do with its demise.

Bonus points if anyone has a night shot of this baby with the neon pizzas on the roof lit up. Hot damn that is awesome. I would have liked to have been at the sheriff's sale the day they foreclosed on this place to try to get one of those pizza slices for my own roof. 

Rumi's Mediterranean Grill & Cafe in Rochester, NY

Rumi's Mediterranean Grill & Cafe in Rochester, NY has a lot to offer. First of all, notice the newer-style architecture, with the larger-than-life roof hump, the brighter-than-usual red roof, and the squarer-than-normal windows (that don't extend to the corners). The kind of sad-but-awesome part of this one is that it was built as a Pizza Hut not all that long ago, but is already serving dutifully in its second life.

I tried to get a better shot from Google Street View, but this specimen is so fresh that indeed even Street View still showed it as a Pizza Hut.

The word on the street is that the roof has been painted brown since this photo was taken. No matter -- it will be hard to get any paint to stick well to that shiny red plastic-y roof, so the old red should be proudly shining back through in no time.

Also, take note of the more tuscan-style mismatched brick work (also original to the former Pizza Hut). This submission from our good friend, Justin, reminds me of getting hand-me-down clothes as a kid that still had the tags on them. Absolutely glorious.

According to the Democrat and Chronicle, Rumi's offers cheap eats and their own Turkish version of pizza.  I bet if you asked really nicely, you might even be able to redeem some Book It! coupons for a personal size version.

MTP Auto Leasing in Bellerose, NY

There is so much to love about this submission from our dear, dear friend Jenna. The village of Bellerose, NY, on Long Island is only 0.1 square miles and home to some 1200 or so lucky residents. Lucky because they all  know EXACTLY where to go when they need auto leasing (and services). Sadly, that convenience did come at the expense of the village's Pizza Hut, but hell, everyone in Bellerose knows that you just can just go up a few blocks to the corner of Hillside Avenue and Little Neck Parkway to grab a big old greasy pie at the NEW Pizza Hut, which, according to Yelp user Jemi, "is not real pizza. It tastes as if it was frozen and just got rapidly heated up."

And that, my friends, is the power of internet research.

UTBAPH Featured on KCBS in San Francisco

Our good friends over at KCBS in San Francisco decided to ask me a few questions to find out what all the buzz is about this blog. Despite calling me a restaurant (I assume she meant "resident"), I think I nailed the whole "trying not to sound like a complete idiot on live radio" thing.

Give it a listen.

The Brunch Box in Lakeland, Florida

I know what you are thinking, and I am thinking the same thing, so let's just cut right to it: there is nothing good about brunch. Wake up early, hungry, on a day that you are supposed to meet someone for "brunch" and you will see exactly what I mean. Brunch is for lazy people without alarm clocks. Eat some damn breakfast like the rest of us, you jagoff. And don't get me started on what happens in the early afternoon when your lazy-but-efficient self decided to roll breakfast and lunch together at 10:30am. You are hungry but now you have to wait for dinner. This is ridiculous.

That said, the brunch box does, in fact, serve breakfast and lunch, according to the sign. Whether you are a confused couple walking down the street or a few oddballs hanging out in the back of your illegally parked crew cab truck, you are welcome to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or that strange hybrid of the two with a slice of cantaloupe on the side at the Brunch Box.

Submitted by Josh, who, no doubt, wakes up with the sun and eats a bowl of Raisin Bran like the no-nonsense individual that he is.

Reding Brothers Martial Arts in Denton, TX

In 1984, a handyman/martial arts master (loyal reader, Sean) agreed to teach a bullied boy karate and show him that there was more to the martial art than fighting. 

That may have been the plot of Karate Kid, but, in my mind, that is what is happening right inside this former Pizza Hut every day. It looks like some serious renovations took place here, but the signature roof hump remains, and that makes me happier than when Daniel Laruso successfully executed that weird swan kick to beat the crap out of that bully guy whose name was on the IMDB tab that I just closed in my browser, so I apologize for the alarming lack of specificity here.

La Porchetta in Auckland, New Zealand

In Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia, a chain called "La Porchetta" offers, I'm told, fairly generic family style Italian meals. This happy example, in the Henderson suburb of Auckland, is an unabashed UTBAPH. A quick paint job on the roof and some new signage, and voilà, you can almost smell your mediocre meal.

Big thanks to our friend from down under, Toby, for this fantastic submission.