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Pizza Hut Celebrates 40 Years of BOOK IT! ® Giving Away 1MM Personal Pan Pizzas® Celebrating National Book Month

Written by Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut, LLC is thrilled to mark the 40th anniversary of its beloved BOOK IT! ® program by giving away ONE MILLION FREE PERSONAL PAN PIZZAS during National Book Month this October. Since 1984, the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program has ignited a passion for reading in millions of children, and now, for the first time, readers of all ages are invited to join in the celebration with a limited time offer of a free Personal Pan Pizza (with $8 minimum purchase)* for everyone who embraces the joy of reading.

As the nation’s longest-running corporate-supported reading initiative, BOOK IT! provides a platform that encourages students from Pre-K through 6th grade to set and achieve their reading goals. The program’s core mission has always been to cultivate a deep, personal connection with reading. Now, as part of the 40th-anniversary celebration, Pizza Hut is extending this mission beyond children to readers of all ages, inviting families, friends, and communities to come together and share in the joy of books.

“I’m incredibly proud of what the BOOK IT! program has achieved over the past four decades,” said Pizza Hut U.S. President Carl Loredo. “It’s inspired more than 70 million children to discover the magic of books, helping to build a lifelong love of reading. As we’re celebrating 40 years, we’re excited to invite readers of all ages to rediscover the joy of reading—one book (and pizza) at a time.”

In the last few years, Pizza Hut has evolved the BOOK IT! program to suit modern educational needs, offering digital reading logs and virtual classrooms to make it even easier for schools and families to participate. The program remains completely free, encouraging parents, educators to sign up on behalf of their students at www.bookitprogram.com and ensure the tradition of reading – and the rewards that come with it – continues to thrive for future generations.

As they celebrate 40 years, Pizza Hut shares some fun facts about the beloved literacy program:

  • Since 1984, it’s estimated that more than 1.5 BILLION pizzas have been awarded to young readers through the BOOK IT! program.
  • From 2013 – 2023 alone, Pizza Hut gave away more than 56 million Personal Pan Pizzas – enough to stretch from coast to coast in the U.S. twice!
  • In the past, United States Presidents have shared their support for the brand’s mission to inspire reading among the country’s youth, including President Ronald Reagan.
  • From 2019 – 2023, Pizza Hut expanded its program by partnering with First Book, a non-profit designed to offer books at a discount or for free for educators who serve kids in Title 1 schools, to better support children of all backgrounds to help them succeed. In just five years, the partnership has impacted more than 391,000 children at these schools.

This year’s 40th-anniversary celebration coincides perfectly with October’s National Book Month, making it the ideal time to recognize the countless ways books have shaped our lives. Whether you’re a young student just discovering the magic of reading or an adult rekindling your love for books, Pizza Hut is here to celebrate your journey with a free Personal Pan Pizza (with $8 minimum purchase)* – because great books deserve great rewards.

Pizza and reading enthusiasts alike can use the code “BOOKIT40” at checkout online or on the app to redeem a free Personal Pan Pizza (with an $8 minimum purchase). *Code valid 10/1 through 10/30 (or until 1 million Personal Pan Pizza®s are redeemed) at participating locations with $8 minimum purchase. Code valid for use online or on Pizza Hut app only. Customer responsible for all taxes, tips and fees.

Guests can also opt to order the BOOK IT! Bundle found online and the app, which includes 2 large, 1-topping pizzas and breadsticks. For every BOOK IT! Bundle sold, Pizza Hut will give a portion of proceeds to the BOOK IT! program.

About the author

Pizza Hut

About Pizza Hut®
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), has more restaurant locations in the world than any other pizza company. Founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kan., Pizza Hut operates nearly 18,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. With easy order options including the Pizza Hut mobile app, website, and Amazon and Google devices, Pizza Hut is committed to providing an easy pizza experience – from order to delivery – and has Hut Rewards®, the Pizza Hut loyalty program that offers points for every dollar spent on food any way you order.

Now more than ever, restaurants have an important role in helping to safely feed families. As the largest pizza brand in the world by store count, Pizza Hut is committed to doing its part. To help keep team members and customers safe, customers can get their favorite Pizza Hut pizza via three contactless offerings: curbside pickup, delivery, or carryout. After becoming the first national pizza brand to offer contactless curbside pickup, Pizza Hut launched The Hut Lane™, a dedicated digital order pick-up window available at more than 1,500 locations across the country.

Pizza Hut is the creator of The BOOK IT! Program, which is the nation’s longest running corporate supported literacy program. Building on that legacy, the program’s BOOK IT! in the Community Initiative is designed to enable access to books and education resources, empower teachers and inspire a lifelong love of reading. The program is rooted in the foundation set by the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Program which impacts more than 14 million students each year.

Pizza Hut is the Official and Only Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and NCAA®.