Hunt Brothers Pizza Sucks

by **Liv** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:44 am

I like pizza. Technically I have a theory going that Pizza is the perfect food. Done right it's an art. Done wrong, its a sin against God. Let me bring you up to speed on an atrocity I've discovered in this world. It's called convenience store pizza franchises. One such company is Hunt Brothers pizza. This has got to be the worst idea yet.

How does it work? Well some lonesome storefront owner pays for someone to come install a cabinet in their convenient store or shop with an Easy-Bake Oven. It's like a miniaturized version of a real pizza oven, but 1/8 scale. Then this company called Hunt Brothers sends you some preprocessed cardboard crusts whereby you pretend to be a pizza chef and add toppings to it. Then they stick it in their oven with it's 100 watt light-bulb, and bake.

Now this is where it gets interesting. They give the shop owner fliers to use. The advertising suggests you get a huge pizza, at a low cost with unlimited toppings. Great idea huh? Look closer on the Hunt Brother's menu, and you realize the size of the pizza is only 14"... roughly the size of a small pizza at most pizza shops. Why so small? Because they're cooking it in an easy bake oven!

It's almost like some child playing imaginary pizzeria, except this is some communities expectations for pizza. My recommendation for those who want to experience pizza from the Hunt Brothers pizza menu, is to hunt for a real pizza restaurant.

by **schneiderdriver** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:48 pm

I stumbled onto this rant while doing a google search for a Hunt Brothers Pizza location, so I hope you will forgive the intrusion. I felt that I had to respond to some of what you said.

First, all sin is against God, so to say "it's a sin against God" would be redundant.

I'd have to agree about most convenience store pizza being a bad idea, but I've honestly never met anyone (who actually tried the pizza, rather than just hating the concept) who didn't like Hunt Brothers Pizza. Maybe not a piece that's been sitting under a warming light, I'm talking about a fresh, made to order pizza.

A 14" pizza is a large pizza where I come from. Do you also run away crying from fast food places when they hand you a sandwich nowhere near the actual size of the picture on the wall? Maybe they need to put a disclaimer on their pizza poster (that is made to be seen from the road) saying it isn't actually that size. I guess they thought most people would know that. Then again, there was a time when McDonalds thought that everyone knew that coffee was hot and it would burn you.

You can like the pizza or not like it, but to describe their crust as cardboard (like a $0.59 grocery store frozen pizza) is completely innacurate. The crust is between a thin crust and a pan crust, not dry, nothing like cardboard.

Maybe your intention was completely for humor. It was an entertaining read, but completely useless if one was looking for an accurate review of Hunt Brothers Pizza. I don't know what prompted you to target them. I saw the reference at the top of the page about dining in Hell. Maybe you've got something against them because they are a Christian owned company. It can't be because their pizza isn't good. I guess you never actually said their pizza wasn't good, only that it was cardboard-ish (my new word), baked under a 100 watt bulb, and not as large as the actual size of the picture on the poster on the wall. You were right about that last point. How dare they?!!!

by **Liv** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:45 pm

That's wonderful. Glad you like it... I just think their marketing is borderline immoral, almost false. When the largest pizza you offer is 14" and you label it huge.... it's a bit misleading...

I had a 24" large pizza tonight from a local pizzeria.... Now that's freaking huge. The damn thing almost ate itself it was huge. Sure I paid $22.00 for this crazy phenomenon, but it was worth it.

It's just that pizza making is an art, and it should be protected. If you can call yourself a pizza shop by buying a small table top oven and shoving preprocessed frozen pizzas in it, then something is lost in the whole creation of it. Sure it's a great marketing technique and makes those "Christians" some real money. So does Market America....

But when I drop my last $10 dollars on a pizza, and receive a Digiorno style pizza I could get at the grocery store for $3.99... then I call foul.

It's like paying $70,000 for a Mercedes, and getting a Mini-Cooper... It's still runs and drives, it may even taste good... but you're a little upset when your 7 foot tall friend tries to get in the back seat.

by **schneiderdriver** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:43 am

I'm not "sure" what the "quotes" around Christian are for, but "anyway"....

I haven't paid that much attention to their advertising. If it says "huge", then I'll give you that one, they shouldn't call their pizza huge.

I don't honestly know what Market America is, so I don't know if you were trying to compare Hunts Brothers to some other flawed/failed/dishonest/whatever business or what. If you think they shouldn't be advertising that way, you should write them and tell them so, rather than posting on a forum with the purpose of slamming their product which I don't even think you have tried. if they are the Christians (or "Christians", if you'd rather) that I hope they are, they will thank you for bringing it to their attention.

I know for me, it is convenient, very tasty, and much more reasonable than burning the gas to run into town for a pizza elsewhere. I'm 2 miles from a convenience store that makes them, and 10 miles from anything else. That is at home in Indiana. Today, I was in OK, and drove by a place where I saw their signs. I was trying to locate their number to order one for when I drove by in the other direction later. That place was a standalone business, with Hunts Brothers Pizza as their product. I'm not saying they didn't sell soft drinks, maybe some other menu items, may have a video gaming machine in the corner (if legal in OK?), etc... I'm only saying that the pizza is their main business, they are not a convenience store, they don't sell gas. I've noticed that sort of thing around the country with this franchise. Now ask yourself, how would they stay in business if that is their main business and the pizza was no good? I just really think you missed the mark on this one. You should have tried the pizza.

by **Liv** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:35 pm

I've tried it... I like the "unlimited toppings" ploy... just was less impressed when I saw how it was done. Don't get me wrong, it's ingenious... but in someways patronizing to Pizza...

No offense intended to the company, but I'm just clearly illustrating why I'm not a big fan. It could be changed... When something does, and they'd like to buy me a pizza, I'd be more than happy to re-write my review... I'd say about 99% of the reviews I write are positive....

Maybe Hunt brother's out in your area is different, I don't know. Here they truly use an oven that's been mail ordered to them which could best be described as an Adult easy-bake oven. The crusts are stacked on the counter like cardboard boxes, and they literally assemble the pizza from there.

Even Domino's uses soft fresh balls of dough, spread by hand and cooked in a full size professional pizza oven. Personally I think the oven probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference... but I'm all for brick oven or grilled if you can. It's just the processed crust and and canned veggies...

by **schneiderdriver** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:16 am

I don't think another review would be necessary. After all, you never really gave the pizza a bad review. You only spoke badly of the company and the process, but never really talked about the finished product until I forced you to by saying I didn't think you had actually tried it. Then you conveniently had an opinion about the actual pizza.

I think you may be onto something when you say that the pizza may be different where I'm from. I thought when I first read where you said it was 14", that didn't seem quite right. I checked the menu on their website, their pizzas are 12", not 14". You said that you read that (14") on the menu at your local franchise location. So unless that was another innacuracy on your part, then it would seem that they are buying supplies from somewhere other than the company.

Hunt Brothers Pizza, at my local store, is... 12", a crust that nobody would ever mistake for cardboard, crusts that are fresh dough that is then frozen and delivered to the store (by the company's own trucks, unless I'm mistaken).

They are what they are... A tasty pizza that is prepared hot and fresh for you at a convenience store price. You are paying for convenience, it's not a new concept, it's been around for quite some time now. And by the way... They don't try to hide the fact that it is a Mini-Cooper, they never led you to believe it is a $70,000 Mercedes. You said it yourself, the Easy Bake oven is right there for you to see. They aren't hiding anything from you. I'm still trying to figure out the validity of that comparison.

Anyway, it seems that it has now become an apples-and-oranges argument. If yours are 14", then everything you say (cardboard crusts stacked on the counter) could be accurate, but they aren't Hunt Brothers Pizzas.

by **blahblah** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:38 am

For one thing, Hunt Brothers is a fake company. Did you know they plaguerized there old mission statement. It said "To honor God in all we do, To be a blessing to people, To pursue excellence, And to grow profitably". Well come to find out a company in England had that same mission statement and made Hunt's take all material down that had that mission statement on it. How fake are these people. Now when i looked at their website they no longer include God on anything. Someone told me 4 yrs ago that this co. would leave God out of there company and it looks like it is true.

by **blahblah** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:46 am

Thats so funny that they threatened you. And they are supposed to be a Christian Co. The founders of Hunts Pizza are prob. Christians, but most of there sons, I'm not so sure. They will run this co. into the ground. The one son, vp executive, always tells his dad to be quiet and let him make the decisions. I mean come on, don't tell your dad to keep quiet so you can keep on talking. Hello, your dad came up w/ this concept. Have some respect. Their sons are some money grubbing kids and will cut any throats who get in their way. From what I have heard it is the sons who live in the Nashville area. First plagurizing their mission statement is unbelievable. Also, i heard they sent a group of winners some prize winners to Las Vegas. I'm not sure if this is true, but why would a Christian Co. send people to Sin City. If this is true, I'm sure it was the sons ideas. Not sure why they would tempt people by sending them to Sin City. I hope this isn't true, but i heard it from some respectable people. It always happens:Fathers pass their company down to their children and they totally are too greedy and lose everything.

by **A Person** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:06 am

blahblah wrote:For one thing, Hunt Brothers is a fake company. Did you know they plaguerized there old mission statement. It said "To honor God in all we do, To be a blessing to people, To pursue excellence, And to grow profitably". Well come to find out a company in England had that same mission statement and made Hunt's take all material down that had that mission statement on it. How fake are these people. Now when i looked at their website they no longer include God on anything. Someone told me 4 yrs ago that this co. would leave God out of there company and it looks like it is true.

Mission statements are not usually trademarked so I can't see how that would affect anyone. It's strange that God would even enter into Pizza franchising.
But according to their site their guiding principles are:

Place God first in all we do,
Be a blessing to people,
Trust God to meet our needs,
Strive for excellence.

I'd have preferred to see something like "Make good pizza". But if we "Trust God to meet our needs" than we should be able to pray to God for Pizza and not have to drive to a convenience store
"God's Own Pizza. Free if not delivered within 30 minutes, piping hot from the flames of Hell"

by **blahblah** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:29 pm

Well they have a new mission statement. Like i said their old was the one i posted. And it was copied from a co. in England and hunts had to take down all signage that had that mission statement on it. You wouldn't think it was copyrighted, but who knows. All i know is they were told to change or else and hunts backed down, because someone in their company copied someone elses missions statement. I guess since they saw it in England they thought whats the chances someone will know. Well hunts all sins will be found out. Pray to your Holy Father again. Their holy father is the pope. They pray to him, when Christians should pray to Jesus.

by **A Person** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:59 pm

blahblah: Where did you read about the plagarisation charge in the UK? I'm rather surprised since a) Mission statements are not trademarked or copyrighted, b) Hunt Bothers have no UK presence - they're only in the Eastern US c) It sounds bizarre, so it probably isn't true.

If it's not true, then there's no need to turn this into a Catholic bashing thread.

by **blahblah** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:09 pm

The company in England saw or heard about Hunts mission statement and made Hunts change theirs. I was told by people working for hunts that is was worded the same as the co. in england and that co. made hunts change. Hunts say they are a christian co. but why would a co. like them copy anothers mission statement. If you have a relationship with The Lord, i think you should come up w/ your own mission statement. About them praying to the pope, I guess should be another board, but it is true catholics say pray to the pope or priest and they will take your prayers to Jesus. I don't understand that why dont you just pray to the best and that would be Jesus. They pray to Mary, and all their other saints. Hello, just pray to the best, Jesus. You know the One who died for your sins!! I guess money will make you do funny things as it does w/ this co.

by **Matt** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:33 pm

I don't know... I think your wrong on both counts. In fact, I know you're wrong on one.

Start a thread in the religion section about praying to the pope. There's a few regulars with good information. Don't trust what you've "heard" or read in a pamphlet. Not sure which catholics you're talking to. I was raised one. And what you say simply isn't so. Now maybe there's a group of misguided folks. Happens in any large group/church/corp/etc/

On the pizza thing, maybe, just maybe, there was someone charged with writing a mission statement. And maybe that person was past deadline and needed something quick. Then he/she remembered one from across the pond and figured the world would never get small enough that they would find out.

by **blahblah** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:47 pm

ok, i will give you the benefit of the doubt about the catholic thing. They do pray to the pope tho. But i know for sure the founders, their fathers, came up w/ the mission statement. One of them prob saw it across the pond and liked it and put it on their own boxes or signage. I just don't understand why you would copy something like that. Just doesn't seem right. I heard their good people, but their kids are the "crazy greeedy ones" And the kids in Nash. really influence their father. Kinda sad, that their father backs down to them. Aw what do i know, i'm jsut a lonely real estate teacher. But i do know this is true:-) This is prob all i'm gonna say. Shouldn't keep bad mouthing this co., but actually should pray for their kids to change their ways.

by **Matt** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 1:29 am

I'm gonna get Liv a nice Hunt Brothers polo shirt for her to proudly wear.

by **someone** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:12 am

Personally, I love their pizza. The crust is soft, the sauce and toppings are good and for the price and convienience, you can't really beat it. Sure, my local Marco's Pizzaria is MUCH better, but costs $22 a pie and I have to drive across town to get it .

This article is like saying. "Hamburgers are an art, how dare McDonalds offer their sub-par double cheese burgers for 99 cents via drive-thru, that are clearly smaller than advertised. The (insert favorite steak house) across town has the best burgers at only $8.95 each and a half hour wait".

Seriously, grow up!

by **oldbunny** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:24 am

I found this pizza today at our bowling alley. I used to enjoy it as "buffet style pizza" from a c-store a few miles away. When I saw the unlimited ingredients thing, I knew it was the same product, now with a new name.
The pizza was very good, like I remembered it. I guess the company uses strict quality control methods to make sure the crusts and toppings are nice and fresh when the pizza is baked. This pizza is actually better than what the chain outlets serve here, and we've got all the big names.
Don't know why all the hatin' for Hunt Brothers Pizza--I think it's a fine product and I wish them much success with it in the future.

by **Liv** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:50 am

Please God.... Kill me now....

by **Guest** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:46 pm

You folks have no idea about this company. This co. is in more than 6300 stores across the the eastern part of the states. This is a half a billion $$ co. So obviosly they are doing something right!

by **Liv** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:23 pm

Making money from something isn't necessarily a sign of a good product, nor a company.

Tobacco companies still make tons of money. Does that mean we should all run out and start smoking again?

I have said numerous times before, and I will repeat myself again. When Hunt Brothers Pizza is willing to send me some free pizzas, I'll be glad to write a full, and unbiased review of their product. I am however, at this time turned off enough by the whole Easy Bake oven thing, I'd rather spend my own personal money on something else.

Surprisingly my cheap ploy to get free pizza hasn't worked yet.... It quite possibly might be the cheapest way for Hunt Brothers to change Hunt Brother's pizza sucks from appearing right under their listing in Google....

:evil:

by **stuart4223** » Sat May 17, 2008 11:35 am

Liv wrote:I like pizza. Technically I have a theory going that Pizza is the perfect food. Done right it's an art. Done wrong, its a sin against God. Let me bring you up to speed on an atrocity I've discovered in this world. It's called convenience store pizza franchises. One such company is Hunt Brothers pizza. This has got to be the worst idea yet.

How does it work? Well some lonesome storefront owner pays for someone to come install a cabinet in their convenient store or shop with an easy bake oven. It's like a miniaturized version of a real pizza oven, but 1/8 scale. Then this company called Hunt Brothers sends you some preprocessed cardboard crusts whereby you pretend to be a pizza chef and add toppings to it. Then they stick it in their oven with it's 100 watt light-bulb, and bake.

Now this is where it gets interesting. They give the shop owner fliers to use. The advertising suggests you get a huge pizza, at a low cost with unlimited toppings. Great idea huh? Look closer on the Hunt Brother's menu, and you realize the size of the pizza is only 14"... roughly the size of a small pizza at most pizza shops. Why so small? Because they're cooking it in an easy bake oven!
YIt's almost like some child playing imaginary pizzeria, except this is some communities expectations for pizza. My recommendation for those who want to experience pizza from the Hunt Brothers pizza menu, is to hunt for a real pizza restaurant.

YOU ARE AN IDIOT! I have had my share of pizza all over the country too, including Italian homemade, and Authentic East Coast Italian Restaurants. HBP's are not the best I've ever had, but they are VERY far from the worst!

You missed the beauty of their operation totally! Myself, and my "neighbors wanted to build our big DREAM HOMES and have land too, as well as to be away from all the noises, traffic, stress and crime, etc. of big city life (where we work)! To do this, we built a few miles out of town in the "country". Thanks to a Hunts Brothers Pizza operation being inside our one local gas station/store, we are still able to order & pick up a hot pizza whenever we like in an area that will never have "a REAL pizza place ( as you call it ). This is where THEY put franchises, not in areas that can support an Italian restaurant! It feeds 3 adults just fine ( perhaps you are a glutton? ) and for just $10 ( 1 topping pies are less than $8 )! My "gas station Hunts Brothers Pizza place" tastes very GOOD, let's my wife not have to cook, and is a blessing to us!

by **Liv** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:54 pm

People. It's pizza. Flour, Yeast, and a can of tomato sauce. Buy an oven on ebay and make your own crust. These franchises are paying money for some cardboard setup. Again, Pizza is an art. It's like saying your painting the Mona Lisa when Hunt Brother's is giving you paint by numbers. Try creating something rather than immitating and you might find sucess. Look at good old Papa John.... Man is a genius.

by **Joel** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:02 am

Contrary to the posts, Hunt Bros. has not removed their mission statement. I should no, I own a franchise. The pizzas have never been 14" in the 5 years that I have owned my franchise, which I might add is the highest grossing in TX,LA and ARK. The pizzas are 12" available in a reg. crust or a square thin crust, formally called the "144 Incher". You do the math. The reason my pizza does well? It is a quality product. I run my business in a town of 2500 and sell roughly 800-1000 units a week in direct competition with 2 other chains in the same small town. Coincidence? No. The fact is, like any other product, it's how it's prepared that mostly affects the final product. If your employees are trained to properly prepare the product, then it will taste the way it is supposed to. The ovens supplied to me are made by Lincoln, run roughly $8000 a piece and are what you will find in any major pizza chain. The owners of Hunt Bros. pizza are in fact 4 brothers, who I am periodically in direct contact with. They call ME for marketing ideas, as they do with their top selling franchises, because they CARE about who is getting their name out, who is helping the company flourish (fastest growing pizza chain in world), who is making them money. Now, if all this dosen't help, I don't know what will..and Liv...I will happily buy you a pizza at my store, and let you see the way that it is supposed to be prepared and taste.

by **lioninwait** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:26 pm

Well Liv, obviously you haven't 'been behind the scenes' of making this pizza. It is NOT, I repeat, NOT baked in a '100 degree - watt easy bake oven'. This pizza is baked in an oven of approx 500degrees. The display you see in the open area of the store or shop is a warming oven...to keep the pizza slices warm that are sold by the slice..or 'hunk'. A whole pie is made to order. I know...I work behind these scenes. I also happen to think it is a great tasting pizza. We have many repeat customers. I think that speaks for itself. Furthermore, we have NEVER portrayed ourselves as pizza chefs. We tell our potential customers exactly what they will be getting. It's their decision. We don't twist their arms, we don't hold a gun to their heads. But you are entitled to your opinion, just don't drag everyone thru the mud with you.

by **Liv** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:43 pm

"Behind the scenes"

Is that what they call the plexiglass window now?