When you think about it, ordering a pizza for delivery is risky business. Why? Because your pie probably won't be out-of-the-oven hot when it gets to your front door (unless you live right next door to the restaurant). That's what ovens are for, though... right? Thankfully, Pizza Hut is making strides toward hotter pizza upon delivery, and I couldn't be happier. In order to do so, they teamed with Toyota to create a vehicle that literally cooks pizzas in its truck bed. That's right: Pizza Hut's Tundra PIE Pro Toyota Truck cooks pies on the road — so you can say goodbye to lukewarm pizza deliveries (and heating up your pies in the oven).
I'm not kidding: Pizza Hut and Toyota created a one-of-a-kind truck that has its own pizza kitchen in the back. According to a press release from Oct. 30, 2018, the truck was introduced at Toyota's 2018 SEMA Show presentation — and Pizza Hut has big plans for it.
Before I get into details about those plans, take a quick look at the vehicle. Could you imagine driving this thing around and making pizzas on the go? I'd imagine you'd be the go-to designated driver every weekend, LOL.
Anyway, the main goal of the Tundra PIE Pro is to deliver fresh pies to a larger radius of customers, per Pizza Hut's press release. It presents the opportunity for Pizza Hut to deliver steaming hot pies to more people, because the pizzas would be cooked directly in the truck bed. What makes it even better is that it's a zero-emission truck, so you won't have to worry about harming the environment for the sake of getting a fresh pie.
Nicolas Burquier, Chief Customer and Operations Officer for Pizza Hut U.S., talked about the vehicle in a press release. He said,
We are constantly focused on evolving our processes and systems through improvements and innovations that allow our team members and drivers to better serve our customers. We are exploring next-generation solutions and automation to support and streamline our delivery business in the future. The Tundra PIE Pro and our work with Toyota are only helping accelerate our commitment to transform both the team member and the customer experience at Pizza Hut.
So, how does it work? According to a press release, the bed of the truck includes a pair of robotic arms, a refrigerator, and a portable conveyor oven. When a pie is ordered, one robotic arm takes a pie out of the fridge and puts it into the conveyor — and that's when it's sent through a "high-speed ventless oven." (Don't worry, the robot arm shuts the refrigerator door after placing the pie down.)
After the pizza is done cooking, another robotic arm does the rest of the work. It takes the pie out of the oven, puts it onto a cutting board, and cuts it into six pieces. Then, the robotic arm boxes the pie up and gives it to the lucky customer. Apparently, the process only takes six to seven minutes.
This is the future, y'all.
Marianne Radley, Chief Brand Officer for Pizza Hut, talked more about the pizza-making truck in a press release. She said, "Nothing tastes better than a fresh Pizza Hut pizza straight out of the oven. The Tundra PIE Pro brings to life our passion for innovation not just on our menu but in digital and delivery in order to provide the best possible customer experience."
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty dang excited. Here's to futuristic pizza deliveries and oven-hot pies at your doorstep.
