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In the past, Pizza Hut was the favorite for groups and loved ones to enjoy its all-you-can-eat buffet, unlimited salad bar, and ice cream with toppings.

However fewer patrons are choosing the chain currently, and it is closing half of its British outlets after being bought out of administration for the second occasion this calendar year.

It was common to visit Pizza Hut when I was a child,” says Prudence. “It was a tradition, you'd go on a Sunday – turn it into an event.” However, at present, as a young adult, she says “it's no longer popular.”

In the view of a diner in her twenties, the very elements Pizza Hut has been famous for since it opened in the UK in the mid-20th century are now less appealing.

“The manner in which they do their buffet and their salad station, it seems as if they are cheapening on their quality and have reduced quality... They're giving away so much food and you're like ‘How?’”

Because ingredient expenses have risen sharply, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become very expensive to operate. As have its outlets, which are being reduced from a large number to 64.

The chain, similar to other firms, has also faced its costs increase. Earlier this year, employee wages jumped due to higher minimum pay and an rise in employer social security payments.

Two diners say they would often visit at Pizza Hut for a date “from time to time”, but now they order in another pizza brand and think Pizza Hut is “very overpriced”.

According to your choices, Pizza Hut and Domino's rates are close, notes an industry analyst.

Even though Pizza Hut does offer takeaway and deliveries through delivery platforms, it is missing out to big rivals which focus exclusively to off-premise dining.

“Domino's has succeeded in leading the off-premise pizza industry thanks to intensive advertising and constantly running deals that make consumers feel like they're saving money, when in reality the base costs are quite high,” says the analyst.

But for the couple it is worth it to get their date night brought to their home.

“We definitely eat at home now instead of we eat out,” says the female customer, reflecting recent statistics that show a decline in people visiting informal dining spots.

Over the summer, casual and fast-food restaurants saw a 6% drop in patrons compared to last summer.

Moreover, a further alternative to restaurant and takeaway pizzas: the supermarket pizza.

A hospitality expert, senior partner at a leading firm, points out that not only have supermarkets been providing good-standard prepared pies for years – some are even promoting home-pizza ovens.

“Lifestyle changes are also contributing in the success of quick-service brands,” comments the analyst.

The increased interest of high protein diets has boosted sales at poultry outlets, while affecting sales of high-carbohydrate options, he continues.

Because people go out to eat less frequently, they may prefer a more upscale outing, and Pizza Hut's retro theme with booth seating and nostalgic table settings can feel more dated than luxurious.

The growth of premium pizza outlets” over the last decade and a half, including popular brands, has “fundamentally changed the general opinion of what quality pizza is,” explains the culinary analyst.

“A crisp, airy, digestible pizza with a select ingredients, not the overly oily, dense and piled-high pizzas of the past. This, in my view, is what's resulted in Pizza Hut's decline,” she says.

“Who would choose to spend a high price on a small, substandard, disappointing pizza from a chain when you can get a stunning, expertly crafted traditional pie for a lower price at one of the many real Italian restaurants around the country?

“It's a no-brainer.”

A mobile pizza vendor, who runs a small business based in a county in England explains: “The issue isn’t that fallen out of love with pizza – they just want better pizza for their money.”

He says his adaptable business can offer premium pizza at accessible prices, and that Pizza Hut faced challenges because it could not keep up with changing preferences.

According to Pizzarova in a city in southwest England, the proprietor says the sector is expanding but Pizza Hut has neglected to introduce anything new.

“There are now individual slices, London pizza, thin crust, artisan base, wood-fired, rectangular – it's a heavenly minefield for a pizza enthusiast to try.”

Jack says Pizza Hut “needs to reinvent itself” as newer generations don't have any sense of nostalgia or loyalty to the company.

In recent years, Pizza Hut's market has been sliced up and allocated to its trendier, more nimble competitors. To keep up its expensive staffing and restaurants, it would have to raise prices – which industry analysts say is tough at a time when family finances are shrinking.

The leadership of Pizza Hut's overseas branches said the acquisition aimed “to protect our dining experience and save employment where possible”.

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

However with large sums going into operating its locations, it probably cannot to invest too much in its takeaway operation because the market is “complicated and using existing external services comes at a expense”, analysts say.

However, it's noted, lowering overhead by withdrawing from competitive urban areas could be a smart move to evolve.