Some staff were reportedly sent home mid-shift as 68 restaurants face closure 🍕

Pizza Hut’s UK dine-in business has entered administration, putting 68 restaurants at risk of closure
Around 741 jobs could be lost, though 64 sites will continue trading under Yum! Brands
Delivery and takeaway outlets are not affected by the closures
The move follows financial struggles, including a recent HMRC winding-up petition over unpaid taxes
Staff were reportedly sent home mid-shift as closures began rolling out nationwide

The dine-in business of one of the UK’s favourite pizza chains has collapsed into administration, putting hundreds of jobs at risk and spelling the end for 68 of its well-known family restaurants across the country.

The sudden move has caused confusion among Pizza Hut staff, with several employees reportedly sent home mid-shift on Monday (October 20) as closures began rolling out nationwide.

In Leeds, as many as eight out of 11 restaurants were said to have shut their doors, according to local reports.

The affected outlets are part of DC London Pie Limited, a franchisee operating Pizza Hut’s dine-in arm, which has now fallen into administration.

A family sit outside Pizza Hut on Oxford Street in London. The chain's UK dine-in business has entered administration, putting 68 restaurants at risk of closure (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) | Getty Images

placeholder image — A family sit outside Pizza Hut on Oxford Street in London. The chain's UK dine-in business has entered administration, putting 68 restaurants at risk of closure (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) | Getty Images

FTI Consulting has been appointed to oversee the process.

The announcement comes less than a year after the business was rescued by investment firm Directional Capital, which stepped in following the collapse of its previous operator, Heart with Smart Limited, that owed nearly £40 million in debt.

But despite efforts to stabilise the chain, DC London Pie faced mounting financial pressure, culminating in a winding-up petition from HMRC last month over unpaid tax.

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In a statement, Pizza Hut confirmed that 64 of its restaurants will continue trading after being acquired in a pre-pack administration deal by Yum! Brands, the company behind Pizza Hut globally.

Around 1,277 employees will transfer to the new entity, while up to 741 jobs could be lost.

Nicolas Burquier, Managing Director for Pizza Hut’s international markets, said the acquisition was “a targeted effort to safeguard our guest experience and protect jobs where possible.”

The closures mark another chapter in the long decline of high street casual dining chains, many of which have struggled since the pandemic due to rising costs, changing consumer habits, and the growing dominance of delivery services.

Full list of the 68 Pizza Hut restaurants closing:

Ashton, Lancashire
Beckton, London
Bolton, Lancashire
Bournemouth, Dorset
Bradford Vicar Lane, West Yorkshire
Brighton Marina, East Sussex
Bristol, Avon
Cardiff, South Glamorgan
Carlisle, Cumbria
Chatham, Kent
Clacton, Essex
Cortonwood, South Yorkshire
Crawley, West Sussex
Cribbs Causeway, Avon
Croydon, Surrey
Dudley, West Midlands
Dundee, Dundee
Durham City, County Durham
Eastbourne, East Sussex
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Fountain Park
Edinburgh Kinnaird Park
Enfield, Middlesex
Falkirk, Scotland
Feltham, Middlesex
Finchley Lido, London
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Greenwich, London
Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Hartlepool, Cleveland
Hayes, Middlesex
Hereford, Herefordshire
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Hull, East Yorkshire
Inverness, Scotland
Kettering, Northamptonshire
Kidderminster, Worcestershire
Lancaster, Lancashire
Leeds Colton Mill, West Yorkshire
Leeds Kirkstall Road, West Yorkshire
Leeds White Rose, West Yorkshire
Liverpool, Merseyside
Llanelli, Dyfed
Lowestoft, Suffolk
Manchester Fort, Lancashire
Middlesbrough, Cleveland
Norwich, Norfolk
Oldham, Lancashire
Portsmouth, Hampshire
Preston, Lancashire
Reading Gate, Berkshire
Rhyl, Clwyd
Rochdale, Lancashire
Romford, Essex
Russell Square, London
Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Silverlink, Tyne & Wear
Solihull, West Midlands
St Helens, Merseyside
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Thanet, Kent
Tower Park, Dorset
Truro, Cornwall
Urmston, Lancashire
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
Wigan, Lancashire
Yeovil, Somerset

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