Pizza Hut Restaurants UK, which was acquired out of administration earlier this year by investment firm Directional Capital, is rolling out new digital ordering screens across all 136 of its sites.
The business, which employs circa 3,000 staff, told Propel that digital ordering and kiosks were “already delivering results” but that “as part of this journey, we are adapting our staffing model, particularly within our front of house teams”.
It is thought that this could lead to up to 120 roles being cut.
Emily Curtis, spokesperson for Directional Pizza, told Propel: “We have implemented new technologies, such as digital ordering and kiosks, which are already delivering results – improving the customer experience and boosting sales, with over 60% of in-store orders now placed through digital channels.
Like many hospitality businesses responding to changing consumer preferences, we’ve invested heavily in these innovations and have had to evolve team member roles accordingly to remain agile and future-fit, delivering great pizza with great service, every time.”
She added: “As part of this journey, we are adapting our staffing model, particularly within our front of house teams. While these decisions are never easy, they are necessary to ensure we continue meeting customer expectations and remain competitive in an increasingly digital marketplace.
We are committed to supporting affected team members and will be working closely with those impacted to explore opportunities to redeploy their skills elsewhere within the broader Pizza Hut network.”
The company behind Pizza Hut’s restaurants in Britain owed more than £50m as it collapsed before being rescued, it has been revealed. Heart With Smart was saved in January by an entity controlled by investment firm Directional Capital in a deal that saw 139 Pizza Hut Restaurants acquired, and led to the closure of one Pizza Hut site and three Itsu franchise sites.
The new owner was the brand’s main partner in Denmark and Sweden, while Heart With Smart was Pizza Hut’s dine-in franchise partner in the UK. Propel revealed in January that Directional Capital paid £10m to acquire Heart With Smart.
