Spectrum #2: Order these pizza chains by founding — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from August 16, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, earliest to latest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these pizza chains by founding, earliest at the top and latest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Papa John's
- MOD Pizza
- Shakey's
- Little Caesars
- Pizza Hut
- Domino's
Nothing was in its place; Papa John's opened 4 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Shakey's is the earliest of the six at 1954 and MOD Pizza the latest at 2008. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Domino's (1960) and Papa John's (1984) — 24 years apart. Everything above that line belongs on the earliest side and everything below it on the latest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. Pizza Hut (1958) and Little Caesars (1959) are only 1 year apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Earliest to Latest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shakey's | 1954 |
| 2 | Pizza Hut | 1958 |
| 3 | Little Caesars | 1959 |
| 4 | Domino's | 1960 |
| 5 | Papa John's | 1984 |
| 6 | MOD Pizza | 2008 |
Previous: Spectrum #1 (Sat, Aug 15) · Next: Spectrum #3 (Mon, Aug 17)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.