Pizza Hut is to shut 68 restaurants after the company behind its UK venues fell into administration.
A reported 1,210 jobs will be lost, despite a rescue deal which will keep 64 of the firm’s restaurants open.
DC London Pie, the firm running Pizza Hut’s UK dine-in restaurants, appointed administrators from corporate finance firm FTI on Monday.
It comes less than a year after the business had itself bought the chain’s restaurants from insolvency.
On Monday, American hospitality giant Yum! Brands, which owns the global Pizza Hut business, said it has now bought the UK restaurant operation in a pre-pack administration deal.
The rescue deal will save 64 sites and secure the future of 1,277 workers.
Nicolas Burquier, managing director of Pizza Hut Europe and Canada, said: “This targeted acquisition aims to safeguard our guest experience and protect jobs where possible.
“Our immediate priority is operational continuity at the acquired locations and supporting colleagues through the transition.”
The administration comes around six weeks after a subsidiary of Yum filed a winding up petition against DC London Pie.
DC London Pie was the company formed after Directional Capital, which operated franchises in Sweden and Denmark, snapped up 139 UK restaurants from the previous UK franchisee Heart with Smart Limited in January of this year.
