Why the Nation Lost Interest in Its Taste for Pizza Hut

Once, the popular pizza chain was the go-to for groups and loved ones to indulge in its all-you-can-eat buffet, unlimited salad bar, and self-serve ice-cream.

Yet fewer diners are frequenting the brand these days, and it is shutting down 50% of its British restaurants after being acquired following financial trouble for the second time this calendar year.

I remember going Pizza Hut when I was a child,” says a young adult. “It was a regular outing, you'd go on a Sunday – spend the whole day there.” But now, aged 24, she says “it's fallen out of favor.”

According to young customer Martina, some of the very things Pizza Hut has been recognized for since it opened in the UK in the seventies are now outdated.

“The way they do their buffet and their salad bar, it appears that they are cutting corners and have reduced quality... They're giving away so much food and you're like ‘How is that possible?’”

Since grocery costs have risen sharply, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become increasingly pricey to maintain. Similarly, its outlets, which are being reduced from a large number to a smaller figure.

The business, like many others, has also seen its operating costs rise. This spring, employee wages jumped due to higher minimum pay and an increase in employer taxes.

A couple in their thirties and twenties mention they frequently dined at Pizza Hut for a date “every now and then”, but now they get delivery from another pizza brand and think Pizza Hut is “too expensive”.

Based on your order, Pizza Hut and Domino's costs are comparable, says a food expert.

Although Pizza Hut does offer takeaway and deliveries through third-party apps, it is losing out to major competitors which specialize to off-premise dining.

“The rival chain has taken over the off-premise pizza industry thanks to intensive advertising and ongoing discounts that make consumers feel like they're saving money, when in reality the original prices are quite high,” says the expert.

However for Chris and Joanne it is acceptable to get their special meal delivered to their door.

“We predominantly have meals at home now rather than we eat out,” says Joanne, echoing current figures that show a drop in people going to informal dining spots.

During the summer months, quick-service eateries saw a six percent decline in patrons compared to the year before.

Moreover, one more competitor to restaurant and takeaway pizzas: the frozen or fresh pizza.

An industry leader, global lead for leisure at a major consultancy, explains that not only have supermarkets been selling high-quality ready-to-bake pizzas for quite a while – some are even promoting countertop ovens.

“Evolving preferences are also having an impact in the popularity of quick-service brands,” states the expert.

The rising popularity of low-carb regimens has boosted sales at chicken shops, while reducing sales of carb-heavy pizza, he notes.

Since people dine out more rarely, they may prefer a more upscale outing, and Pizza Hut's American-diner style with booth seating and red and white checked plastic table cloths can feel more retro than upmarket.

The growth of artisanal pizza places” over the last decade and a half, including popular brands, has “completely altered the public's perception of what good pizza is,” explains the food expert.

“A light, fresh, easy-to-digest product with a carefully curated additions, not the excessively rich, thick and crowded pizzas of the past. That, arguably, is what's caused Pizza Hut's decline,” she says.

“Why would anyone spend nearly eighteen pounds on a modest, low-quality, underwhelming 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 pizza van based in Suffolk explains: “It's not that fallen out of love with pizza – they just want higher quality at a fair price.”

Dan says his adaptable business can offer gourmet pizza at accessible prices, and that Pizza Hut struggled because it was unable to evolve with changing preferences.

At an independent chain in Bristol, the founder says the sector is diversifying but Pizza Hut has failed to offer anything new.

“There are now slice concepts, London pizza, thin crust, fermented dough, wood-fired, deep-dish – it's a heavenly minefield for a pizza enthusiast to try.”

The owner says Pizza Hut “should transform” as the youth don't have any fond memories or attachment to the chain.

Gradually, Pizza Hut's share has been divided and spread to its more modern, agile competitors. To keep up its costly operations, it would have to charge more – which experts say is tough at a time when personal spending are tightening.

The leadership of Pizza Hut's overseas branches said the rescue aimed “to protect our guest experience and retain staff where possible”.

The executive stated its first focus was to continue operating at the open outlets and off-premise points and to assist staff through the transition.

Yet with large sums going into operating its locations, it probably cannot to spend heavily in its off-premise division because the sector is “complex and partnering with existing third-party platforms comes at a cost”, commentators say.

But, he adds, reducing expenses by exiting competitive urban areas could be a good way to evolve.