Greenwich Pizza Hut to permanently close after administration
A branch of Pizza Hut in Greenwich is to close after the company’s UK arm fell into administration.
A total of 68 restaurants will shut for good across the country with the Greenwich branch located next to the Odeon. In total 1,210 people jobs will be lost UK-wide.
The main photograph above was taken earlier this month and I took it for two reasons: firstly as so few Pizza Huts now seem to exist and secondly due to whether this site would ever be redeveloped.
It seems a while since Pizza Hut was a fixture of most High Streets. I recall visiting the Woolwich branch a fair bit at college when it used to do cheap lunchtime buffets, but I can’t even recall now where it was. The west end of Powis Street? It’s been gone a long time.
As for why the Odeon site may be redeveloped one day, well the next door B&Q will be so it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility.
As can be seen above a fair bit of the car park will go, even though hundreds of space will still remain below newly constructed buildings.
In total 1,250 homes are planned as B&Q and the car park.
More recently a nearby plot has seen a potential height increase submitted at Greenwich Millennium Village a short distance away.
As for the Odeon plot, I’ve not seen anything imminent and the Pizza Hut unit may well find an occupant soon. Still if it’s one now closing it couldn’t have been doing that well.
Despite plans to close 68 branches (a full list is here) hundreds more will remain.
Up where Holland and Barratt now sits. I too used to enjoy the buffet back in the 90s, particularly watching some of the students build up the salad bowl to foot-high servings. A shame the Hut has gone but it’s not been a good value proposition for years, and I can’t recall the last time I ever truly enjoyed their pizzas. Mind you, Express has also gone downhill in recent years so I suspect they’ll be occupying the king slot, waiting for the next rival to unseat them.
Regarding Pizza Express, I’ve actually had the opposite experience – they were downhill 7 years ago (not terrible mind you, just a bit average and too expensive), but lately I have found them tasting better and having okay enough deals to get me going.
I have eaten in a handful Pizza Hut places, but so long ago that I hardly notice them now. There is a takeaway operation along Burnt Ash Road around the corner from where I live, but I would be hard pressed to name the location of a sit down establishment in my locality.
I feel for the staff who are going to lose their jobs in what is already a diffcult time business owners and staff working in rhe hospatality sector. I have not eaten in a pizza Hut for yesrs. Most people now seem to have take aways delivered. I am not sure where other local branches of Pizza Hut are located where you can eat in. That said people going to the Odeon cinema often go for a quick bite to eat so they will miss the Pizza Hut Hopefully a new occupant may be found for the site soon.