‘Slice of Life’ Paperwork Former Pizza Huts That Have Been Remodeled Into BBQ Joints, Church buildings, Oyster Bars, and Extra

It is astonishing what slightly documentary can do in your soul. In a time crammed with strife, anger, and a sense of despair, one scrumptious new movie has come alongside at simply the correct time to point out us that something is feasible — one rebuilt Pizza Hut location at a time. 

Within the soon-to-be-released documentary, “Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts,” filmmakers Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker monitor down former Pizza Huts which were remodeled into, properly, absolutely anything and all the things — from BBQ spots to hashish outlets, church buildings, and oyster bars. 

“These nostalgic areas maintain recollections of a bygone period, however by way of the facility of transformation, they supply one thing new and particular for the communities that proceed to stream by way of them,” the duo said in a truth sheet, including that they hope the movie acts as a “modern portrait of America.” 

“As kids of the ’80s and ’90s, Matt and I grew up going to Pizza Hut, so we’ve got a powerful nostalgic connection to those buildings,” Tucker shared with Meals & Wine. “Seeing them dotted across the U.S. panorama of their numerous reincarnations was fascinating to us.” 

And, as Tucker famous, they discovered that they are not alone on this fascination, pointing to Mike Neilson’s weblog, Used To Be A Pizza Hut, which is the unique on-line website devoted to recognizing “former Pizza Huts” within the wild. ” We had been fortunate sufficient to interview Mike for our movie in one in every of Pittsburgh’s many former Pizza Huts, now working as Kabab King,” Tucker added. 

And whereas the movie does level to the endurance of the Pizza Hut model, it is not a easy historical past lesson on America’s third-largest pizza chain — relatively, it is a have a look at all the probabilities that include rebirth and all the probabilities folks can absorb chasing their model of the American dream, identical to the Carney household did once they opened their first Hut in 1958. 

Nevertheless, what is probably most attention-grabbing is that Salleh and Tucker each grew up in Australia, giving them a singular lens on American tradition from an outsider’s perspective. However do not get it twisted — these two are Pizza Hut lifers, and share the identical magical childhood recollections you probably do too. 

“We each grew up in Australia, one of many first international locations exterior the U.S. to get Pizza Huts. In consequence, we had many of the identical components, together with the traditional buildings with their trapezoidal home windows,” Salleh mentioned. “Within the ’90s, the large factor in Australia was the All You Can Eat dinner, full with limitless gentle serve ice cream on the dessert bar.” 

Tucker added, “My good buddy Mel jogged my memory that to rejoice her birthday one yr, our group of buddies dressed up because the Spice Women and went to Pizza Hut for lunch. I even have a vivid reminiscence of getting caught in a trance utilizing the gentle serve machine – my dad needed to bounce in and switch it off as my leaning tower of ice cream toppled over.” 

Of their quest to spotlight post-Pizza Hut outlets, the crew mentioned they “investigated tons of of former Pizza Huts.” And whereas they could not title which one was their favourite, Tucker famous, “Many former Pizza Hut places at the moment are immigrant-run eating places, and we knew we wished to characterize this in our movie. We had been very fortunate to find Taco Jesús, as they weren’t truly in enterprise once we began taking pictures the movie. They had been the final location we filmed in after I struck upon a information article asserting their current opening in Lynchburg, Virginia.” 

Two others stand out to Tucker, the Church of our Savior, in Boynton Seaside, Florida, and the Bud Hut, a hashish dispensary in Walsenburg, Colorado. 

“Each places gave us the chance to dive slightly deeper with our storytelling — Church of our Savior is a part of MCC, a gaggle of church buildings that had been initially established as a protected haven for the LGBTQ+ group.  And the Bud Hut offered the chance to debate the affect of the legalization of marijuana in rural communities,” Tucker shared. 

Their movie does precisely what the duo is hoping — presents a portrait of America, however one which we have possibly forgotten. A spot the place folks wish to discover connection, goal, and possibly whiff of pizza nonetheless wafting within the air. 

“All throughout the nation, there are hard-working people who find themselves creating locations the place the group can collect,” Salleh mentioned. “There’s this concept of the ‘Third Place,’ a spot separate from work and residential the place folks can come collectively. These impartial companies are nonetheless an essential a part of the American panorama, and you may create these locations wherever — even in a repurposed Pizza Hut constructing.” 

The movie is about to debut on streaming in 2025. You possibly can maintain monitor of its launch date by following its official Instagram account right here.