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Pizza Hut to open new express branch at Merry Hill

The first of 40 new Pizza Hut sites across the UK is to open at the Merry Hill shopping centre in December.

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Pizza Hut Delivery has announced a partnership with Nine Group that will become the franchisee for 31 existing Pizza Hut Delivery and Express Huts.

Through this new partnership, Nine Group will also open the 40 new Pizza Hut locations across the UK.

Pizza Hut in the UK is available to its customers in three different forms – Delivery, Express and its Restaurant arm.

The new site at Merry Hill will be a Pizza Hut Express, offering carry-out or express eat-in service. There is already a restaurant at the shopping centre in Brierley Hill.

Pizza Hut Restaurants is fully franchised in the UK and run by chief executive Jens Hofma.

The new partnership is another step towards Pizza Hut Delivery’s significant growth plans in the UK and Europe. In November 2020, Pizza Hut Delivery announced plans to open 125 new locations over a three-year period – creating around 2,000 additional jobs.

Pizza Hut has operated as a franchisor in the UK since 1973.

UK customers have continued to respond well to Pizza Hut’s menu. During the height of lockdown in 2020, Pizza Hut Delivery UK delivered more than 565,000 additional meals from March to early July than in the same period in 2019. Sales continued to grow and Pizza Hut Delivery saw double digit year on year sales growth in the second half of 2020, with sales continuing to grow throughout 2021.

Vivek Chadha, managing director at Nine Group said: “This partnership gives Nine Group the chance to diversify into an area which has seen significant growth during the pandemic and we are thrilled to be working with Pizza Hut; benefiting from a strong brand with a heritage of innovation."

Neil Manhas, general manager at Pizza Hut Delivery in the UK, said: “We are so excited to be partnering with Nine Group to grow our business, create opportunities for our team members and continue investing in our brand. They have a great track record of success in the hotel business and their growth mindset and commitment to customer excellence makes them well placed to continue to grow with Pizza Hut Delivery. We welcome Nine Group to the Pizza Hut family with Vivek and his team already hitting the ground running, kicking off the launch of their first new Pizza Hut Express in Dudley very shortly.

“This partnership is a testament to the growth we have seen this year, as well as the incredible work of each of our team members who have brought us through a challenging 18 months, and I cannot thank them enough for their hard work.”

Pizza Hut Delivery is continuing to grow, seeking new locations across the UK with business property adviser Christie & Co.

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