Omnivore - Spongy, barely edible and greasy?

Pizza Hut may be changing its name to....The Hut, according to Marketplace, American Public Radio’s business program that airs on WABE (90.1 FM) weekdays at 6:30 p.m. You can read or listen to the piece about the change on their website. Here’s a teaser:

Kai Ryssdal: Marketing is more important than ever in a down economy. We ran across the latest example in the trade magazine Brandweek this morning. Pizza Hut seems to think that’s just one word too many to be really catchy. The Hut, they say, would be better. Marketplace’s Rico Gagliano reports it’s yet another fast-food chain trying to change with the times.

RICO GAGLIANO: Outside a pizza hut in downtown L.A. this morning, I asked passerby a pretty obvious question.

GAGLIANO: So when you think of Pizza Hut, what food item comes to mind?

GUY 1: I think of very spongy pizza, barely edible.

GUY 2: Um, greasy pizza.

Setting aside these guys’ unsolicited editorializing, you’d think this would make the folks running Pizza Hut happy, because at least customers know what they sell, right? But problem is, more and more consumers aren’t buying pizza from chains.

Meanwhile, however, Pizza Hut told Reuter’s it’s not changing its name and reported the same decision on its website a few days ago. So whatever. The important thing is that the chain’s sales are down significantly.

(Photo courtesy of fabulous, battered Perez Hilton.)