Pizza Hut customers in Yorkshire sad about diner closures

“We were coming here because we were going to have a little anniversary dinner – we’ve been together 22 years.”

Richard McLuckie and Caroline Cantrill have been regular faces at Bradford’s Pizza Hut restaurant, but were surprised to find one of their favourite diners closed on Tuesday.

The restaurant, at the city’s Leisure Exchange, is one of six to have closed across West and South Yorkshire, with three in Leeds, one in Huddersfield and another in Barnsley also being shut for good.

In total, 68 Pizza Hut diners – more than half of its overall footprint – and 11 delivery sites across the UK have been closed after its parent company went into administration, at a loss of more than 1,210 jobs.

“We used to come here maybe once a month,” said Mr McLuckie, 45.

“We’d heard about the recent closures but we weren’t sure if it was going to be our one or not.

“Being close to the bowling alley and other places, it was always quite busy, so we were surprised this one is shut.”

In Huddersfield, 68-year-old Paul Davies expressed similar sentiments.

“I didn’t realise it was closing,” Mr Davies said.

“It is a shame.

“We haven’t been for two or three years but we used to come down quite a bit.”

A particular favourite among Pizza Hut fans was its lunchtime all-you-can-eat buffet, which Mr Davies said was “really good value” and popular with students and families.

“Pizza Hut has always been known as good pizza,” he added.

“But you can get everything online now – takeaways, Just Eat, Deliveroo. So maybe that’s causing them a bit of a problem.”

Zoe Adjay, a senior lecturer in hospitality at the University of East London, told the BBC on Monday that Pizza Hut had struggled to remain relevant amid increased competition, having initially been at the “forefront” of the fast food market in the 1970s.

“The pizza market has become a lot more upmarket,” she said.

“There’s a lot more high-end pizza and they’ve taken a huge market share.”

Back in Huddersfield, 68-year-old Alec Marinkovich was disappointed by the closure there.

“There’s a lot of competition and of course money’s getting tighter these days,” he said.

“People are pulling back on spending.

“It’s a popular restaurant and there’s always been good service, so it is a shame.

“Sometimes we come down to the pictures and we might call in before or afterwards.”

In Leeds, 50-year-old Dale’s plans for a meal with his daughter and grand-daughter were thwarted.

“We’re gutted,” he said.

“We fancied a buffet. We’ll have to find somewhere else for lunch now.

“We used to go to Pizza Hut as a treat once a year in York.

“These days it’s a bit more accessible and you’ll go once a month.

“I don’t think there’s any other pizza place like Pizza Hut.

“I think it’s one of a kind. You can’t replace it with ‘owt really.”