Pizza Hut breaks ground on new Plano headquarters

Frito-Lay North America, Bank of America, J.C. Penney Co., Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Ericsson will have new neighbors by the end of the year.

Pizza Hut officials were in the Legacy Business Park Thursday afternoon to break ground on the 20-acre space that will be the future home of the company’s global headquarters.

“There have been some red-letter days in the history of Plano, and this is certainly one of them,” said Mayor Phil Dyer. “It’s an honor for Pizza Hut to have chosen Plano as their new home. Being a global headquarters, they could have picked anywhere in the world and they chose Plano. Pizza Hut will be a great addition to this neighborhood.”

The highly anticipated move was approved in November when the Plano City Council approved a $2.5 million offer to Pizza Hut of America, Inc. to relocate its corporate headquarters to Plano from Addison, where the company has been since 1995.

“This was a natural breaking point in our lease and we had the option to exit if we wanted to,” said Scott Bergren, president and chief concept officer of Pizza Hut.

Bergren said the company had polled all of its employees and found surprising results, helping Pizza Hut officials determine where to relocate.

“We found that the Legacy area was almost dead center of where our employees are concentrated,” he said. “Our employees are pretty excited about the move because now they don’t have to drive as far to get to work.”

Pizza Hut doesn’t come alone; it’s bringing its sister division, Yum! Restaurants International.

“This move is significant because it is the opportunity to create an office environment that reflects the state of our business,” said Graham Allan, president of Yum! Restaurants International. “Our restaurants are youthful, vibrant and have a sense of dynamism, and our current offices don’t have the same level of dynamism. This new facility will truly reflect the state of our business and the goals we strive for.”

The new headquarters will be a three-story building with about 170,000 square feet of office space. Construction is to begin immediately and will be completed by the end of the year.

Bergren said he is hoping to be able to move into the new facility in December.

The move promises to bring more than 600 jobs to the area.

Not only does Pizza Hut’s move to Plano show progress in a “soft economy,” but that Plano remains aggressive in economic development opportunities for the betterment of the Plano community, said Sally Bane, executive director of the Plano Economic Development Board.

“There are several multiplier benefits that arise out of a relocation of this magnitude,” she said, referring to the increased economic activity in and around the Legacy area that will contribute to the city’s sales tax.

Councilwoman Lissa Smith said the relocation of Pizza Hut’s corporate headquarters is a significant leap for Plano and she is excited to see the deal come to fruition.

“We are very excited about Pizza Hut’s move to Plano,” she said. “Pizza Hut is another jewel in Plano’s crown.”

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