Bill Colvin was looking for a change in 1962. He had spent quite some time working in the oil supply industry when a new and exciting opportunity was presented to him. It was the concept of pizza.

Bill Colvin and partner Norman Blankenship visited Wichita, the home of the first Pizza Hut®, and they were convinced the people of Liberal would support a new restaurant that offered a quality dining experience in a clean and inviting environment.

On January 18, 1962 the two men brought Pizza Hut® to Liberal. At the time, it was the 18th Pizza Hut® restaurant in the system. Their gamble paid off. Liberal embraced Pizza Hut®, and it wasn't long before the two were looking to expand the franchise. So they started new Pizza Huts in Dodge City and Amarillo, Texas.

But the two partners found it difficult to achieve similar goals in the fast-paced world or franchising, so they split the business. Blankenship took the Texas restaurants, and Colvin kept the Kansas restaurants.

Colvin continued to open and purchase new stores in the area and as far away as Montana and New Hampshire. Between 1974 and 1979, High Plains Pizza opened 15 new stores.

But Colvin's original focus on quality and service never waivered in any of his restaurants. Those efforts were recognized when the Meade and Hugoton restaurants were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation for cleanliness and service. In 1996, the Hamilton, Montana restaurant earned the same No. 1 designation.

Colvin involved his four sons, Kent, Mike, Tracy and Greg in the business. They share the same passion for Pizza Hut® as their Dad. According to Kent, they also learned to take care of those who helped make Pizza Hut® successful-its customers.

"Dad told us it was important to give back to communities we serve," Kent said. "That's why we have a strong commitment to our towns, our teammates and our properties."

And the future holds more upgrades as well as more new and exciting varieties of pizza to keep the customers coming back. "We have a passion for pizza," Kent said. "It's all we do."

Pizza Hut's History