Pizza Express closing 73 restaurants, to cut 1,100 jobs
Nine of the stores shutting down are in London.
Pizza Express confirmed it will close 73 of its 454 UK restaurants, with the potential loss of 1,100 jobs.
"Unfortunately, the impact of the global pandemic has meant that we have had to make some incredibly tough decisions to safeguard Pizza Express for the long term,” Zoe Bowley, Pizza Express's managing director for the UK and Ireland, said.
In most cases, Bowley said the stores selected for closure are near to another Pizza Express that has already reopened or will be reopening soon.
The chain, currently majority owned by Chinese firm Hony Capital, said it had cut a deal to reduce rent costs. It had hired advisers from Lazard to lead a sale process for the business.
Prior to its latest announcement, Pizza Express earlier considered shutting down 67 of its UK restaurants.
