TUNKHANNOCK, Pennsylvania – Mr Rolando Pujol was driving east on Route 6 in Pennsylvania, heading home to Queens, New York, in 2020 when he came upon what seemed like a mirage: a towering sign advertising a red-roofed, dine-in Pizza Hut.

Once a common sight across the United States, these old-school, low-slung buildings had largely disappeared as the restaurant chain modernised its stores and focused on takeaways.