Could Huge Cookie Boost Pizza Hut’s Sales?

You can now satisfy your sweet tooth with a new pizza dessert from Pizza Hut.

That’s right. After you’re full of bread sticks, pizza and soda, you can gorge yourself on Pizza Hut’s new 8-inch cookie pizza. I have a stomach ache just thinking about it (not that that’s going to stop me from trying it).

The pizza giant partnered with chocolate king Hershey to develop the new treat. But a pizza cookie isn’t a new idea. Papa John’s has reported that its pizza-sized Mega Chocolate Chip Cookie is popular with customers, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Pizza Hut’s sales could use a boost. Pizza Hut same-store sales dropped 2 percent last year, the Motley Fool said. Fourth-quarter sales fell 4 percent.

Same-store sales continued to decline in 2014 — by 5 percent in the first quarter, Businessweek said.

A recent Pizza Hut survey indicated that 70 percent of people eat dessert after pizza, and a cookie ranks high on the dessert list. Pizza Hut is particularly hoping its cookie will appeal to the millennial crowd. According to USA Today:

“Millennials tell us it’s what they want,” says Carrie Walsh, chief marketing officer at Pizza Hut. “They like to cap off a great pizza with a great dessert.”

If you purchase a pizza and the new dessert, the cookie sells for $4.99. Otherwise it’s $5.99. It’s also available for delivery.

Pizza Hut already offers cinnamon sticks and Hershey Chocolate Dunkers.

I love pizza. In my restaurant-challenged small town, we have four pizza restaurants, and it’s one of the few meal options that offer delivery. I would love to give this cookie pizza a try, but I just checked out Pizza Hut online and, unfortunately, it’s not available at our town’s Pizza Hut. Bummer.

Do you think Pizza Hut’s new dessert offering will help the pizza giant boost sales? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.