🔗 Share this article

In the past, the popular pizza chain was the favorite for parents and children to enjoy its all-you-can-eat buffet, endless salad selection, and self-serve ice-cream.

But fewer diners are frequenting the chain nowadays, and it is reducing half of its UK locations after being bought out of administration for the second occasion this calendar year.

It was common to visit Pizza Hut when I was a child,” says Prudence. “It was a tradition, you'd go on a Sunday – spend the whole day there.” But now, aged 24, she comments “it's no longer popular.”

In the view of a diner in her twenties, some of the very things Pizza Hut has been recognized for since it opened in the UK in the seventies are now not-so-hot.

“The manner in which they do their all-you-can-eat and their salad bar, it appears that they are cutting corners and have reduced quality... They provide so much food and you're like ‘How?’”

Since food prices have increased significantly, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become increasingly pricey to run. The same goes for its locations, which are being cut from 132 to just over 60.

The company, like many others, has also experienced its costs increase. Earlier this year, staffing costs jumped due to higher minimum pay and an rise in employer taxes.

Two diners mention they would often visit at Pizza Hut for a date “from time to time”, but now they order in Domino's and think Pizza Hut is “too expensive”.

According to your order, Pizza Hut and Domino's rates are comparable, notes a culinary author.

Even though Pizza Hut has takeaway and deliveries through delivery platforms, it is losing out to big rivals which specialize to this market.

“The rival chain has managed to dominate the off-premise pizza industry thanks to intensive advertising and ongoing discounts that make consumers feel like they're getting a bargain, when in reality the original prices are on the higher side,” explains the expert.

Yet for these customers it is acceptable to get their special meal brought to their home.

“We predominantly have meals at home now instead of we eat out,” says Joanne, reflecting latest data that show a decline in people frequenting casual and fast-food restaurants.

Over the summer, quick-service eateries saw a notable decrease in patrons compared to last summer.

There is also one more competitor to ordered-in pies: the supermarket pizza.

A hospitality expert, head of leisure and hospitality at a leading firm, notes that not only have supermarkets been providing premium ready-to-bake pizzas for a long time – some are even promoting home-pizza ovens.

“Shifts in habits are also playing a factor in the performance of quick-service brands,” states the expert.

The increased interest of high protein diets has boosted sales at poultry outlets, while reducing sales of dough-based meals, he notes.

Since people go out to eat less frequently, they may seek out a more upscale outing, and Pizza Hut's retro theme with vinyl benches and nostalgic table settings can feel more old-fashioned than premium.

The growth of premium pizza outlets” over the last several years, such as boutique chains, has “dramatically shifted the consumer view of what excellent pie is,” explains the food expert.

“A thin, flavorful, gentle crust with a few choice toppings, not the massively greasy, heavy and overloaded pizzas of the past. This, in my view, is what's led to Pizza Hut's decline,” she states.

“Who would choose to spend nearly eighteen pounds on a small, substandard, disappointing pizza from a large brand when you can get a gorgeous, skillfully prepared classic pizza for a lower price at one of the many traditional pizzerias around the country?

“It's a no-brainer.”

A mobile pizza vendor, who runs a small business based in a regional area says: “It's not that stopped liking pizza – they just want better pizza for their money.”

He says his flexible operation can offer high-quality pie at accessible prices, and that Pizza Hut had difficulty because it could not keep up with evolving tastes.

From the perspective of an independent chain in Bristol, the founder says the industry is diversifying but Pizza Hut has failed to offer anything fresh.

“You now have slice concepts, artisanal styles, new haven, fermented dough, wood-fired, deep-dish – it's a heavenly minefield for a pie fan to try.”

Jack says Pizza Hut “needs to reinvent itself” as younger people don't have any fond memories or attachment to the brand.

Over time, Pizza Hut's market has been divided and spread to its fresher, faster competitors. To sustain its costly operations, it would have to increase costs – which industry analysts say is difficult at a time when family finances are decreasing.

A senior executive of Pizza Hut's international markets said the rescue aimed “to protect our dining experience and protect jobs where possible”.

He said its first focus was to maintain service at the surviving locations and takeaway hubs and to assist staff through the restructure.

Yet with large sums going into running its restaurants, it likely can't afford to allocate significant resources in its off-premise division because the sector is “difficult and partnering with existing external services comes at a expense”, commentators say.

But, he adds, lowering overhead by exiting oversaturated towns and city centres could be a smart move to adjust.