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In the past, Pizza Hut was the favorite for parents and children to feast on its eat-as-much-as-you-like offering, unlimited salad bar, and ice cream with toppings.

Yet not as many customers are choosing the brand currently, and it is reducing a significant portion of its UK locations after being acquired following financial trouble for the second time this year.

I remember going Pizza Hut when I was a child,” notes Prudence. “It was like a family thing, you'd go on a Sunday – turn it into an event.” Today, in her mid-twenties, she comments “it's fallen out of favor.”

According to 23-year-old Martina, some of the very things Pizza Hut has been famous for since it launched in the UK in the 1970s are now less appealing.

“The way they do their all-you-can-eat and their salad station, it appears that they are cheapening on their quality and have inferior offerings... They provide so much food and you're like ‘How is that possible?’”

Because ingredient expenses have soared, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become increasingly pricey to run. Similarly, its restaurants, which are being sliced from a large number to a smaller figure.

The chain, similar to other firms, has also seen its expenses increase. This spring, labor expenses rose due to increases in the legal wage floor and an increase in employer national insurance contributions.

Chris, 36, and Joanne, 29 explain they frequently dined at Pizza Hut for a date “every now and then”, but now they order in Domino's and think Pizza Hut is “too expensive”.

Depending on your choices, Pizza Hut and Domino's costs are close, says an industry analyst.

Even though Pizza Hut has pickup and delivery through delivery platforms, it is missing out to larger chains which specialize to off-premise dining.

“Domino's has taken over the off-premise pizza industry thanks to aggressive marketing and ongoing discounts that make customers feel like they're saving money, when in reality the standard rates are relatively expensive,” notes the specialist.

However for the couple it is acceptable to get their special meal brought to their home.

“We absolutely dine at home now instead of we eat out,” says the female customer, reflecting latest data that show a decline in people frequenting casual and fast-food restaurants.

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

Additionally, a further alternative to ordered-in pies: the supermarket pizza.

A hospitality expert, head of leisure and hospitality at a leading firm, notes that not only have grocery stores been offering high-quality ready-to-bake pizzas for years – some are even offering pizza-making appliances.

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

The increased interest of low-carb regimens has increased sales at grilled chicken brands, while reducing sales of dough-based meals, he notes.

Because people visit restaurants not as often, they may look for a more upscale outing, and Pizza Hut's retro theme with booth seating and traditional décor can feel more old-fashioned than premium.

The growth of artisanal pizza places” over the last several years, including new entrants, has “fundamentally changed the general opinion of what good pizza is,” notes the industry commentator.

“A thin, flavorful, gentle crust with a few choice toppings, not the massively greasy, heavy and overloaded pizzas of the past. That, I think, is what's led to Pizza Hut's decline,” she says.

“Who would choose to spend £17.99 on a modest, low-quality, underwhelming pizza from a franchise when you can get a beautiful, masterfully-made classic pizza for a lower price at one of the many real Italian restaurants around the country?

“It's an easy choice.”

A mobile pizza vendor, who runs a small business based in a regional area comments: “The issue isn’t that lost interest in pizza – they just want better pizza for their money.”

He says his adaptable business can offer premium pizza at reasonable rates, and that Pizza Hut faced challenges because it failed to adapt with new customer habits.

At an independent chain in Bristol, the proprietor says the sector is broadening but Pizza Hut has failed to offer anything fresh.

“Currently available are by-the-slice options, London pizza, thin crust, fermented dough, Neapolitan, Detroit – it's a heavenly minefield for a pizza enthusiast to discover.”

Jack says Pizza Hut “should transform” as newer generations don't have any emotional connection or attachment to the company.

In recent years, Pizza Hut's market has been divided and distributed to its fresher, faster alternatives. To keep up its high labor and location costs, it would have to raise prices – which commentators say is challenging at a time when personal spending are shrinking.

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

It was explained its immediate priority was to keep running at the surviving locations and delivery sites and to support colleagues through the restructure.

But with large sums going into operating its locations, it probably cannot to spend heavily in its off-premise division because the industry is “difficult and partnering with existing delivery apps comes at a price”, experts say.

However, it's noted, lowering overhead by exiting crowded locations could be a smart move to adapt.