Pizza Huts in Poole and Bournemouth to close

Two Pizza Hut restaurants in Poole and Bournemouth are set to close permanently, after the fast-food chain fell into administration for the second time in a year.

As a result, 68 Pizza Hut locations across the UK are closing, leaving around 1,210 redundant. Pizza Huts affected locally include Castle Lane West in Bournemouth and Tower Park in Poole.

What is the reason for the closures? The company DC London Pie bought out Pizza Hut’s UK franchises in January after the restaurants became insolvent. But due to a combination of challenging trading conditions, increased costs and under-pressure cashflows, DC London Pie appointed administrators FTI Consulting on Monday.

Today, it was revealed that the global food company Yum! Brands, which also owns KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut in other parts of the world, has stepped in to save the remaining 64 Pizza Hut restaurants and 1,276 jobs.

“The joint administrators will continue to work with employees who have unfortunately been made redundant, to ensure they get the support needed,” joint administrator Matt Callaghan said in a statement on Tuesday.