Pizza Hut, the world's largest pizza chain with over 12,500 restaurants across 91 countries, is changing its name to Pasta Hut as part of a $174 million rebranding programme that will see it revamp over the 700-strong UK chain.

The Texas-based chain of restaurants will also extend the number of outlets and launch a new, expanded menu including pasta-based dishes in a move to attract new customers and to move more upmarket. Pizza Hut had earlier this year rebranded itself in Canada.

It plans to launch a whole new menu by introducing eight new pasta dishes in its 700 restaurants in the UK and at the same time it will continue to sell pizzas.

New sign boards are being put with the changed name as the group battles to adopt a wholesome image, not whole-fat. The change in name will be backed by a multi-million pound marketing campaign on TV advertisements created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.

The company said that its research had revealed that consumers eat more pasta than pizza, although they still want variety when eating out.

The restaurant chain has changed its menu of pizzas, pasta and the famous salad bar and will now have a higher nutritional value and quality of ingredients to those low in salt and saturated fat and cutting down on hydrogenated oils.

The menu will now make pasta its priority, keeping pizza as kids meals and including hidden vegetables in its preparations, since consumers opt for healthier options.

Salt has been cut and will be reduced a further 10 per cent in the next three years to meet Food Standards Agency targets.

Chief executive Alasdair Murdoch said that the rebranding was a reflection of the nutritional changes to the menu but maintained that the focus would remain on value for money.

In recent years the food chain has also been focusing on strengthening its online order booking and home delivery business.

On April 1, 2008, Pizza Hut sent emails to customers advertising that they now offer pasta items on their menu. The email stated 'Pasta is so good we've changed our name to 'Pasta Hut'.'

The name change was a publicity stunt held for April Fools' Day, with the company's Dallas headquarters changing its exterior logo to Pasta Hut. This name change was also used to promote the new Tuscani Pasta line and new Pizza Hut dine-in menu.