Looking Inside Dubuque’s Abandoned Pizza Hut is a Blast from the Past (PHOTOS)

There's something about photos of abandoned buildings and retail outlets that inspire curiosity and nostalgia in many of us. There are a litany of TikTok channels and Facebook groups dedicated to this kind of thing. Low and behold, a shuttered Dubuque pizzeria popped up on a Facebook group called "Retail Dead or Alive" this week, and it's a location most residents will instantly recognize.

That location is 2075 John F Kennedy (JFK) Road in Dubuque, better known as "the former Pizza Hut" adjacent to the Kwik Star. The property is listed for lease on LoopNet's website via Cushman & Wakefield Iowa Commercial Advisors. Also present are a barrage of photos of the interior of the old Pizza Hut.

Sometimes, peering into an abandoned building or looking at photos of one online can be a sad, souring experience. To my surprise, the interior of this old Pizza Hut, which was made special due to the fact that it was a dine-in location, is actually in fairly good shape, all things considering. It's obviously in need of new carpeting, refrigeration, and a larger facelift, but the guts aren't in dire shape by any means.

These photos remind me of how much fun dine-in Pizza Hut locations used to be. Before ostensibly every big city location was downsized to service carryout/delivery orders only, dine-in Pizza Hut locations had a real personality. Everyone remembers the salad bar and its numerous options. I distinctly remember my hometown Pizza Hut had a bubble hockey machine, and me and my friends, as recently as when we were in college, used to hold makeshift tournaments.

Another aspect of this former Pizza Hut location that stands out is the abundance of woodgrain and wood paneling. That in itself makes this a relic in time. Simultaneously, however, it reminds you how homey these places felt. Think about how ubiquitous wood paneling was from the 1970s - 1990s. When you recall your home kitchen/dining area, you realize why many restaurants used it.

As expected, the backroom/kitchen area of this former Pizza Hut is a little dirty and ragged. That said, it's not dilapidated by any means. Prospective tenants would need to replace things like workstations, sinks, ovens, etc due to obvious wear and years of neglect, but these aren't impossible tasks for someone looking to start a restaurant.

You can find more photos of the interior of the old Pizza Hut location on JFK Road on LoopNet's website.