Double Dusted with Harley Morenstein

How Pizza Hut Abandoned the Red Roof and Lost Its Soul #174

This week, Harley and Big Lynch break down the slow death of Pizza Hut and why Yum! Brands is now trying to offload them for $3.5 billion. Big Lynch delivers a full PREsentation on how a $600 loan from the Carney brothers' mom in 1958 turned into the world's #1 pizza chain before losing to Dominos. The boys reminisce about pebbled red cups, Tiffany lamps, X-Men VHS giveaways, Pizza Pete, the salad bar, the dessert pizza buffet, and Harley's grade 11 era of partying inside a closed Pizza Hut. They get into the 2008 Pasta Hut rebrand, why Pizza Hut tried to delete the word "pizza" from its own name in 2009, the Chinese Salad Tower scandal, the 2018 Domino's takeover, how the buffet got killed in 2014, why the Red Roof concept is officially "retired" per Pizza Hut's own filings, the Pizza Hut Classic remodel program, and why Yum! Brands now reports earnings "excluding Pizza Hut." Plus: the Domino's CEO saying the vibes are bad, a Wetzel's x Cold Stone co-branded location tease, why Donnie keeps ghosting the pod, and so much more. New episodes of Double Dusted Discussion every Monday.  Tell us what you think at r/EpicMealTimeMake sure to subscribe and follow the podcast. New episodes every Monday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

How Quiznos Lost 90% of Their Empire in 10 Years #173

This week, Harley and Big Lynch break down the worst collapse in fast food history, Quiznos. From 4,700 stores at the 2007 peak down to 200 today, the boys unpack the Spongmonkey mascot disaster, the toaster ad nobody asked for, the senior VP sting, and the corporate "trap" that nickel-and-dimed franchisees out of business. Big Lynch delivers a full presentation, with Donnie listening from a canoe somewhere. Plus: meet Sardar "Big Larry" Biglari, the Steak N Shake CEO who calls himself Michelangelo, runs his empire from Monaco, and is currently shitposting Cracker Barrel into oblivion. The boys roast Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright's "mid single digit inflation" corporate speak, break down the Thermos recall that left three people permanently blind, react to YouTube AI gassing itself up, debate whether the perfect tomato sandwich needs cheese, hot dog consolidation, and so much more. New episodes of Double Dusted Discussion every Monday. Tell us what you think at r/EpicMealTime, @EpicMealTime on Twitter, or business@epicmealtime.com [business@epicmealtime.com]. Make sure to subscribe and follow the podcast. New episodes every Monday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

They Spent $200M to Invent This Chip. It Ruined Lives. #172

This week, Harley and Big Lynch let YouTube's AI pick the episode and dig into the $200 million chip disaster that gave America diarrhea. The boys break down Olestra, the Wow! chip launch of '98, and why "may cause anal leakage" was just printed on the bag like it was a nutrition fact. Then it's an update on Brian Niccol's $100M year at Starbucks, McDonald's launching dirty sodas with no fresh limes in sight, and the 17g protein menu push for the GLP-1 crowd. Plus: a Chinese restaurant in Louisiana caught with roadkill in the freezer, Lynch's confession about eating queso out of the jar in his cup holder, and so much more. New episodes of Double Dusted Discussion every Monday. Tell us what you think at r/EpicMealTime, @EpicMealTime on Twitter, or business@epicmealtime.com [business@epicmealtime.com]. Make sure to subscribe and follow the podcast. New episodes every Monday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Why MLB Made A Nacho Sombrero #171

This week, Harley and Big Lynch break down how MLB concessions became an all-out arms race for your wallet in 2026. $45 hot dog, a wearable nacho sombrero, and a 24-inch quesadilla that comes in a custom carrying case. Big Lynch created The Belly Index™, the official Double Dusted ratings system for absurd ballpark food. The guys go deep on Aramark and Levy, the concessions companies nobody's heard of who are actually behind all this. Plus: Dodger Dog origins, fried bull testicles at Coors Field, Harley's candy Glizzy Epic Meal Time callback, McDonald's patty inspections, view-botting callouts, and so much more. New episodes of Double Dusted Discussion, every Monday!  Tell us what you think at r/EpicMealTime, @EpicMealTime on Twitter, or business@epicmealtime.com [business@epicmealtime.com]. Make sure to subscribe and follow the podcast. New episodes every Monday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

How Doritos Lost $50 Billion #170

This week, Harley and Big Lynch hold it down without Donnie as PepsiCo erases $50 billion in market value trying to charge $7 a bag for Doritos. Lynch crowns Kevin Hockman the next $100 million man as Chili's surpasses Olive Garden for #2 casual dining in America. The boys break down Denny's launching Project Grand Slam, Hershey's US president dipping after just 14 months of wobbly chocolate and Mr. Beast pressure, Reese's actually changing the Peanut Butter Cup recipe, and Brian Niccol's worst idea yet: Starbucks x ChatGPT, where you upload a photo of your outfit and a chatbot tells you what to drink because "customers aren't starting with a menu, they're starting with a feeling." Plus: energy drinks officially the #2 beverage category in America, Applebee's closing 29 locations, Lynch's chicken bowl sauce saga, and so much more. New episodes of Double Dusted Discussion every Monday. Tell us what you think at r/EpicMealTime, @EpicMealTime on Twitter, or business@epicmealtime.com [business@epicmealtime.com]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]