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At one time, Pizza Hut was the go-to for parents and children to enjoy its unlimited dining experience, help-yourself greens station, and ice cream with toppings.

However fewer patrons are frequenting the brand these days, and it is reducing a significant portion of its British locations after being acquired following financial trouble for the second instance this calendar year.

It was common to visit Pizza Hut when I was a child,” explains one London shopper. “It was a regular outing, you'd go on a Sunday – turn it into an event.” However, at present, in her mid-twenties, she states “it's no longer popular.”

For young customer Martina, the very elements Pizza Hut has been recognized for since it launched in the UK in the 1970s are now less appealing.

“How they do their buffet and their salad station, it feels like they are lowering standards and have inferior offerings... They're giving away so much food and you're like ‘How can they?’”

Since grocery costs have risen sharply, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become increasingly pricey to maintain. The same goes for its restaurants, which are being reduced from over 130 to a smaller figure.

The company, in common with competitors, has also seen its operating costs increase. Earlier this year, labor expenses rose due to rises in minimum wages and an increase in employer national insurance contributions.

Two diners explain they frequently dined at Pizza Hut for a date “every now and then”, but now they order in another pizza brand and think Pizza Hut is “not good value”.

Depending on your choices, Pizza Hut and Domino's rates are comparable, explains a food expert.

Although Pizza Hut has takeaway and deliveries through delivery platforms, it is missing out to big rivals which specialize to the delivery sector.

“Domino's has managed to dominate the delivery market thanks to aggressive marketing and constantly running deals that make shoppers feel like they're finding a good deal, when in reality the original prices are quite high,” notes the expert.

Yet for Chris and Joanne it is worth it to get their date night sent directly.

“We absolutely dine at home now instead of we eat out,” explains Joanne, matching latest data that show a decrease in people going to informal dining spots.

Over the summer, casual and fast-food restaurants saw a 6% drop in diners compared to the year before.

There is also another rival to ordered-in pies: the frozen or fresh pizza.

An industry leader, senior partner at an advisory group, notes that not only have grocery stores been offering premium ready-to-bake pizzas for quite a while – some are even selling countertop ovens.

“Shifts in habits are also contributing in the popularity of fast-food chains,” states the expert.

The increased interest of protein-rich eating plans has driven sales at chicken shops, while hitting sales of high-carbohydrate options, he adds.

Because people visit restaurants less frequently, they may prefer a more high-quality meal, and Pizza Hut's retro theme with comfortable booths and traditional décor can feel more dated than premium.

The “explosion of high-quality pizzerias” over the last several years, including new entrants, has “dramatically shifted the general opinion of what good pizza is,” notes the food expert.

“A light, fresh, easy-to-digest product with a few choice toppings, not the excessively rich, thick and crowded pizzas of the past. That, I think, is what's resulted in Pizza Hut's struggles,” she states.

“Who would choose to spend nearly eighteen pounds on a small, substandard, disappointing pizza from a franchise when you can get a beautiful, masterfully-made Margherita for under a tenner at one of the many real Italian restaurants around the country?

“It's an easy choice.”

Dan Puddle, who runs a pizza van based in a county in England comments: “People haven’t stopped liking pizza – they just want better pizza for their money.”

Dan says his mobile setup can offer premium pizza at reasonable rates, and that Pizza Hut had difficulty because it was unable to evolve with evolving tastes.

From the perspective of an independent chain in Bristol, the proprietor says the sector is expanding but Pizza Hut has neglected to introduce anything innovative.

“Currently available are slice concepts, regional varieties, New Haven-style, fermented dough, traditional Italian, deep-dish – it's a heavenly minefield for a pizza-loving consumer to explore.”

Jack says Pizza Hut “must rebrand” as the youth don't have any emotional connection or attachment to the chain.

Gradually, Pizza Hut's share has been sliced up and allocated to its more modern, agile alternatives. To sustain its costly operations, it would have to raise prices – which commentators say is difficult at a time when personal spending are decreasing.

A senior executive of Pizza Hut's global operations said the buyout aimed “to safeguard our dining experience and retain staff where possible”.

He said its key goal was to maintain service at the surviving locations and takeaway hubs and to help employees through the change.

However with significant funds going into running its restaurants, it likely can't afford to spend heavily in its off-premise division because the market is “complex and partnering with existing third-party platforms comes at a price”, experts say.

But, he adds, cutting its costs by leaving crowded locations could be a smart move to adjust.