Long lines at Ethiopia’s first Pizza Hut despite the hefty price tags

Addis Ababa is no stranger to a good knock-off. The Intercontinental, one of the best-known hotels in the city, has absolutely nothing to do with the international hotel group. Nor is the In-N-Out Burger in upmarket Bole suburb in any way related to the American franchise.

There’s a “Burger King” opposite the stadium, a “Home Depot” in the Old Airport area, and Kaldi’s, the local coffee chain, has shamelessly ripped off the Starbucks logo — although, in mitigation, Kaldi’s does make better coffee.

In this setting, Pizza Hut is something of an anomaly. It’s the real thing — the first time a major international fast-food franchise has entered the Ethiopian market (South African franchises Debonairs and Spur, which both have Addis locations, don’t quite fit the bill.)

The first Pizza Hut opened for business on April 14, to long queues and much fanfare. “The presence of Pizza Hut in Ethiopia is an exciting addition to the country’s culinary scene,” said Michael Raynor, the United States ambassador.

Two weeks later, the queues have not shortened by much. It’s not yet midday and already there’s a scrum at the signature black granite counter, which was imported along with all the other typical Pizza Hut trimmings from the US. It doesn’t help that teething problems with the tills mean that receipts are being written out by hand. […] CONTINUE READING