One Year: 1990 | 1. Pizzastroika

The episode explores Pizza Hut's Soviet adventure in 1990, during the climax of the Cold War, examining how the American restaurant chain got tangled up in geopolitics. It details how PepsiCo's CEO, Don Kendall, was determined to open a Pizza Hut in Moscow, viewing it as a means of international diplomacy. The narrative follows Andy Rafaleff's efforts to navigate the Soviet system, including bribing officials with vodka to acquire building materials and trading Soviet submarines for American cash. The story also highlights Rita Skimmyhorn's experience training Russian employees and the challenges of adapting to local tastes and shortages. Ultimately, the podcast reveals how Pizza Hut's Soviet venture, despite initial success, succumbed to the economic and political instability following the Soviet Union's collapse.