Pizza Hut to open its first restaurant in five years after £60m revamp
At least 50 jobs will be created when the new eatery opens during the second half of next year in the White Rose development in Leeds, the casual dining chain said.
More than £1m has been invested in the new premises, which will sit alongside an 11-screen Cineworld and serve up new menu options including the Ultimate Thin pizza featuring the chain’s thinnest ever crust, Kentucky style BBQ ribs, fried pickles known as frickles, American style waffles and sweet potato fries.
Cocktail bar staff will also receive training on how to prepare ‘hard shakes, daiquiris and mojitos’, and become educated on the history and 'theatre' of cocktail making.
The move is the latest phase in the business’s refurbishment programme, which has been funded through a broader £60 million investment; more than half of its 272 dine in restaurants across England, Wales and Scotland have been renovated since Rutland Partners acquired the business in 2012.
“We are now half way through refurbishing our entire estate, which has seen us create a new look and feel for every Hut,” Pizza Hut development director Mike Spencer said.
“Already our strategy is paying off; the refurbished estate is playing a significant role in the success of our business, with Huts achieving up to 40 per cent increase in sales growth and our recent results are testament to that.”
In December Pizza Hut Restaurants announced like for like growth of 6.2 per cent for the period from 1 December 2014 to 29 November 2015, having achieved nine quarters of consecutive growth.
In addition, the business recently announced a new Apprenticeship programme, which will see 1,500 apprenticeships created in the next five years, including a degree level apprenticeship.
