Pizza Hut in the UK is making the difficult decision to shut down 68 of its restaurants and 11 delivery locations, resulting in the loss of 1,210 jobs. The franchisee of Pizza Hut dine-in restaurants, DC London Pie Limited, has appointed FTI Consulting as administrators. Yum! Brands, the global owner of Pizza Hut, has stepped in to save 64 locations and 1,277 jobs through a pre-pack administration agreement.
A pre-pack administration involves finalizing the sale of a business or its assets before the formal administration process commences. Pizza Hut UK’s spokesperson announced the acquisition of the Pizza Hut dine-in operations through a pre-packaged administration, ensuring the continuity of 64 sites to uphold guest experience and preserve jobs. Under UK TUPE legislation, approximately 1,277 team members, including leaders and support staff, will transition to the new Yum! equity business.
Nicolas Burquier, Managing Director of Pizza Hut Europe and Canada, emphasized the targeted acquisition’s goal of safeguarding guest experience and preserving jobs. The immediate focus is on ensuring operational continuity at the acquired locations and providing support to colleagues during the transition.
Directional Capital took control of 139 Pizza Hut restaurants in January 2025, rescuing 3,000 jobs following the collapse of the previous operator, Heart with Smart Limited. DC London Pie Limited was established by Directional Capital to operate Pizza Hut restaurants in the UK. The first Pizza Hut in the UK opened in Islington, London, in 1973, expanding to over 260 restaurants nationwide at its peak, employing 10,000 staff.
In a trend of struggling businesses, Poundland underwent significant store closures after a restructuring process post its sale to an investment firm for £1. The budget retailer, initially with 800 branches, anticipates reducing to approximately 650-700 stores through closures and lease expirations. Bodycare faced a similar fate, closing all its stores after entering administration. The beauty chain shut down 32 stores immediately, followed by the confirmation of the closure of another 30 stores. Ultimately, all 56 remaining stores were announced to close permanently.
