April 25, 2025
Local News | Bureau County Republican
Local News

Princeton Pizza Hut demolished

By Lyle Ganther
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Vanessa Addis takes video of the demolition work Thursday at the old Pizza Hut restaurant in Princeton. The building was first built in 1973 and has had three additions to it over the years. A new parking area for the new Pizza Hut, which opened for business Tuesday, will be located where the former building had sat for more than four decades. Prior to the Pizza hut, the site was the former home of the old Red & White Grocery. (BCR photo)

PRINCETON — The old Pizza Hut restaurant, dating back to 1973, is now history.

Demolition of the building with the distinctive red metal roof was demolished on Thursday. In its lifetime, the building had three additions added to the structure.

John Addis, co-owner of JV Enterprises of Illinois and based in Kewanee, which owns the franchise for the Princeton restaurant, said he expects the building to be hauled away by Friday to prepare that lot for parking for the new Pizza Hut that opened for business Tuesday just south of the old building.

"If the weather holds, I expect in two weeks for everything to be done and out of here," he said while waiting for demolition work to be finished.

As the building was being torn down, a steady stream of cars went by on Main Street and many turned off onto Franklin Street to see the bulldozer tear apart the building.

Addis' wife, Vanessa, said tables and chairs from the old restaurant were donated to the Princeton Moose Lodge. John Addis said he had a person request a certain booth in the old restaurant because their first date was there, and he gave them that booth.

The new restaurant is 2,700 square feet in size and can seat up to 100 people. Addis said it includes a full salad bar and buffet. It also includes a drive through window on the south side.

"We have been busier than I expected at the new Pizza Hut," he said.

Addis owns 11 Pizza Huts in Illinois, and the Princeton one is the last one of those to be remodeled or relocated. The Addises owns Pizza Huts in Peru, Ottawa, Streator, Milan, Channahon, Wilmington, Orion, Geneseo, Colona and Kewanee.

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