KINGSTON, Jamaica — Pizza Hut’s Jamaican operations are set to come under a new global owner after Yum Brands agreed to sell the struggling restaurant chain as part of a US$2.7-billion deal.

Private-equity firm LongRange Capital will acquire Pizza Hut’s operations outside mainland China for about US$1.5 billion, a transaction that would include the international brand and franchise network under which Pizza Hut Jamaica operates.

Yum China Holdings will separately purchase the mainland China business for approximately US$1.2 billion. Both transactions are expected to close during the third quarter of 2026.

It was not immediately clear whether the sale will lead to changes in Jamaica, where the Pizza Hut franchise is operated by Restaurants of Jamaica, or ROJ, which also operates KFC locally.

Franchise restaurants are generally owned and managed by local operators under agreements with the international brand owner. The sale therefore does not automatically mean that Jamaica’s restaurants will close or change ownership.

However, LongRange could eventually influence matters such as franchise agreements, brand strategy, menus, restaurant design, technology requirements and expansion plans across Pizza Hut’s international markets.

The development comes as ROJ is investing heavily in expanding the brand locally, even as Pizza Hut has struggled in some of its larger overseas markets.

ROJ announced earlier this year that it was spending $180 million to establish a Pizza Hut restaurant in Cumberland, Portmore. The outlet was expected to become the chain’s 16th location in Jamaica and its 11th outside Kingston and St Andrew.

That investment formed part of almost $500 million being spent by ROJ on new KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in Jamaica.

Pizza Hut’s local expansion contrasts with the chain’s weaker performance internationally. Yum began reviewing its options for the business in November 2025 after Pizza Hut fell behind its faster-growing KFC and Taco Bell brands.

The pizza chain has faced intense competition, pressure on consumer spending and concerns about older restaurant formats in some markets. Pizza Hut had also announced plans to close about 250 underperforming restaurants in the United States during the first half of 2026.

Yum expects to receive approximately US$2.3 billion in net proceeds from the two sales. The company has also approved an additional US$4-billion share-repurchase programme.

Yum said the sale would allow it to concentrate more heavily on KFC and Taco Bell, while giving Pizza Hut new ownership focused on reviving the brand.

For Jamaica, the immediate issue will be whether LongRange maintains Pizza Hut’s existing franchise and expansion arrangements with ROJ or introduces changes after the acquisition is completed.

There has so far been no indication that the transaction will disrupt service at Pizza Hut restaurants in Jamaica.