Pizza Hunt
On my way to Albany yesterday to do more work on the suitcases, I drove past this abandoned Pizza Hut on Route 9 in Hadley. I have always wanted to photograph it in the fog, and the conditions were just right. This building is odd to begin with, and the fact that it sits empty in the middle of an otherwise highly developed area makes it even stranger. I think it has been empty for at least 5 years. When Peter was a little boy, we once went there for one of those kids birthday parties, and even then it was a bit other-worldly. I wonder if this was the bog standard corporate design for smaller New England Pizza Huts. As Peter was learning to talk, he would often add consonants to words where they didn’t belong; hence this building was, and still is the Pizza Hunt.
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
You’re a genius.
I saw this picture and thought for a moment you were in my neck of the woods – there’s an abandoned Pizza Hut on an otherwise developed street, as well – it’s been there for about ten years, now. I think that no one leases it because it just looks like a Pizza Hut.
Check out 793 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, United States on Google Maps.
Down the road there’s an abandoned Wendy’s.
Jen, thanks for the oomment. Your theory about why it is empty is perfect. And to have an abandoned Wendy’s so near; does that say something about fast food or about Lewiston? Best, Jon
You sure are! A wonderful, intriguing image…. where are the missing red roof tiles now?
excellent photo…love the mysteriousness of the fog…it looks like an Asian hat floating on the mist!
One of the first things Will ever said was, “Burger KING. Pizza HUT.” He was in his car seat and we were driving through Bath, NY late at night. He was abut 2.5 years old, I think. He would not sleep – he never did sleep well in the car – but I was shocked that he recognized the logos and I can still hear his little voice coming from the back seat.
LOVE it! The architecture was the same in Arizona in the 60’s,so I think it is a universal design.
It would appear that this building design is standard country-wide as the one in Longview, Wa is almost identical. Such a sad little place — ever more so in the fog, I’m sure.
Nice… love that Peter called it Pizza Hunt.
The old Pizza Huts in Kentucky looked like this, too.
It has a Japanese look to it. I love the timing of your photo.
I have a great friend who is a very private person. For today I will call him Z. I met him at a time when I was just figuring out photography, and he was a constant source of friendship and information to me. Our relationship has lasted for decades in spite of the fact that we live very far apart, and don’t see each other even once a year. But we talk on the phone three or four times a week. He is an incredible photographer, as well as somewhat of a philosopher, and probably the smartest person I know. He sent me an email today and since I can cut and past it without revealing any personal details, I think it will be ok to post it here. It is too good not to share.
Hi Jon,
A few mornings ago, while driving, I noticed how the dense misty fog had started to bead tiny droplets on the windshield and how soft and pleasant that gray light was. And yesterday, I was looking through your blog; especially the comments on your shot of the Pizza Hut. Just fascinating how people respond to fog. Reminded me of freezing fog many years ago, late 40’s, when I was a kid in Cotati, California. I haven’t seen frost as beautiful as that since then (of course, memory is a fickle mistress). Deep, even fog, dancing gently all around, with everything gray. As the temperature would drop, all the foggy moisture would quickly start to freeze into the thinnest coating of frost imaginable. Knew it wasn’t going to last, but the idea in my imagination was that, maybe, somewhere out there was a magical place where it did last, and keep that wonderful, even, gray light around a bit longer. Everything covered with frost and seemingly becoming colder and more beautiful, all from looking out, in a nice warm room, through a window, to the outside. Well, the sun had become monotonous, even for a young kid living in California, then to Arizona briefly and back to California, what, with sunny days you have morning, noon and evening, all predictable, and then everything changed with that cold fog turning into frost: an introduction to a new and more mysterious world than the predictable sun. Time had no meaning, morning or afternoon looked the same, cold and beautiful. All responsibilities on hold, not that a 1st grader would have many. Everything was looking colder and colder, a scary thought, indeed. From your cozy warm place inside, you wondered if you would remain warm enough, which, of course, you did. We were in Cotati for less than a year, so I was not able to enjoy repeat performances, come the following cold weather season. But your photograph, again, brought back some sweet memories. Thanks! Z
I’m grew up in Brigham City, UT & there is a Pizza Hut that looks just like this! It’s still open there…