Pizza Hut Vs. Domino's? Adam Richman Helps Settle The Debate - Exclusive

When Mashed spoke exclusively with Adam Richman about his time hosting the History Channel's revival of Modern Marvels and experience on The Food That Built America, one thing became clear — he really loves pizza. In fact, in his exact words, Richman says "pizza is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy." So we obviously had to ask him about the season two premiere of The Food That Built America, which tells the story of Pizza Hut and Domino's, their ongoing rivalry, and how it shaped the American pizza palate forever (via History Channel).

Specifically, we had to ask Richman to answer the age old question: Pizza Hut or Domino's, which is better? This answer did not come easy to him. "They both have their merits" he started off, weighing that "they both employ a ton of Americans." Richman went on to admit that, "this is a very, very tough call," which we totally understand. There are a lot of similarities between the two chains – from their expanded menus offering things like pasta, wings, and desserts; to high-tech online ordering systems, and speedy delivery. We think you really have to consider the more subtle differences to narrow it down, and Richman would agree. In the end, however, the History Channel host did give one American pizza empire a slight edge.

When we first posed the question — Pizza Hut or Domino's — Richman definitely hesitated, but he finally came out and admitted, "I'm going to give the slight edge to Domino's thin crust, just by virtue." So there you have it! The verdict is in, let the outrage ensue.

Now, it's not clear if this Domino's ruling would stand pre-2009, when the chain changed up their entire pizza recipe, including a new "garlic seasoned crust, robust sauce, and more flavorful shredded cheese" (via Domino's Pizza). But that adaptation to evolving tastes and customer demands is actually something Richman would credit Domino's with. 

In fact, Richman quickly moved from discussing the actual pizzas at these two family-run chains to their histories, their rivalry, and the innovation that it spawned in America. For Domino's, it's a breakup story between the two brothers, and it's a juicy one. Richman told us, "I even love the fact that one of the brothers from the Domino's family, he didn't like this whole just switching to pizza thing, just doing delivery. He didn't like it, so he left. He said, 'You can have my half of the company, and I get to keep the Volkswagen bug.' And his half of the company is worth $800 million now... That's a bad trade baby, that's a bad call." Yeah, $800 million... let that sink in for a second.

Despite crowning Domino's pizza the king, Richman acknowledges that he still has a soft spot for Pizza Hut and the nostalgia it brings. "I always have very fond memories of going to Pizza Hut as a kid with the red glasses. They always had the good ice. And I always liked the sort of the French breaded crust." He did mention his one hang up with Pizza Hut was "the little pellets of meat, the little sausage pellets and meat pellets." Looking at Pizza Hut's online menu and Instagram, we kinda see what he's talking about... but we'll leave that up to you to judge.

Regardless of his own hang ups, Richman has deep appreciation for the ground-breaking rise of Pizza Hut, which, along with Domino's, is arguably responsible for America's obsession with pizza. Richman said "I don't think anybody would ever go, 'Yeah. Two brothers in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and two brothers of Wichita, Kansas, are going to do more for the growth of pizza than any other Italian chef in the country.'" 

You can learn about the pizza war and more by tuning in to The Food That Built America on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on History Channel. Be sure to also check out Richman's other show, Modern Marvels, airing Sundays at 10 p.m. EST and streaming now on history.com.