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In the past, Pizza Hut was the favorite for parents and children to enjoy its unlimited dining experience, endless salad selection, and make-your-own dessert.

However a declining number of patrons are choosing the chain these days, and it is reducing a significant portion of its UK outlets after being acquired following financial trouble for the second occasion this year.

“We used to go Pizza Hut when I was a child,” says a young adult. “It was a regular outing, you'd go on a Sunday – make a day of it.” Today, aged 24, she states “it's no longer popular.”

In the view of a diner in her twenties, the very elements Pizza Hut has been famous for since it started in the UK in the 1970s are now outdated.

“The way they do their buffet and their salad bar, it feels like they are cutting corners and have reduced quality... They offer so much food and you're like ‘How is that possible?’”

As ingredient expenses have risen sharply, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become very expensive to run. The same goes for its restaurants, which are being sliced from a large number to 64.

The business, like many others, has also seen its costs go up. Earlier this year, employee wages rose due to increases in the legal wage floor and an higher rate of employer social security payments.

Chris, 36, and Joanne, 29 say they would often visit at Pizza Hut for a date “occasionally”, but now they choose Domino's and think Pizza Hut is “not good value”.

Depending on your selection, Pizza Hut and Domino's rates are similar, explains a culinary author.

Even though Pizza Hut does offer pickup and delivery through external services, it is falling behind to big rivals which solely cater to this market.

“The rival chain has taken over the delivery market thanks to aggressive marketing and frequent offers that make consumers feel like they're saving money, when in reality the base costs are on the higher side,” notes the analyst.

However for the couple it is worth it to get their evening together brought to their home.

“We absolutely dine at home now rather than we eat out,” says one of the diners, matching current figures that show a decline in people visiting informal dining spots.

During the summer months, quick-service eateries saw a notable decrease in customers compared to the previous year.

Moreover, another rival to pizza from eateries: the supermarket pizza.

A hospitality expert, senior partner at a leading firm, points out that not only have grocery stores been providing good-standard ready-to-bake pizzas for years – some are even offering countertop ovens.

“Shifts in habits are also contributing in the success of casual eateries,” comments Mr. Hawkley.

The growing trend of high protein diets has boosted sales at poultry outlets, while reducing sales of dough-based meals, he continues.

Since people go out to eat less frequently, they may prefer a more upscale outing, and Pizza Hut's American-diner style with booth seating and nostalgic table settings can feel more dated than luxurious.

The growth of high-quality pizzerias” over the last 10 to 15 years, for example boutique chains, has “dramatically shifted the general opinion of what excellent pie is,” notes the industry commentator.

“A crisp, airy, digestible pizza with a carefully curated additions, not the massively greasy, heavy and overloaded pizzas of the past. This, in my view, is what's resulted in Pizza Hut's downfall,” she states.

“Why would anyone spend a high price on a tiny, mediocre, unsatisfying pizza from a franchise when you can get a beautiful, masterfully-made Margherita for under a tenner at one of the many real Italian restaurants around the country?

“It's a no-brainer.”

An independent operator, who operates Smokey Deez based in Suffolk comments: “People haven’t lost interest in pizza – they just want improved value.”

He says his mobile setup can offer high-quality pie at accessible prices, and that Pizza Hut had difficulty because it failed to adapt with evolving tastes.

According to an independent chain in a city in southwest England, the founder says the pizza market is diversifying but Pizza Hut has neglected to introduce anything new.

“You now have individual slices, London pizza, thin crust, fermented dough, Neapolitan, deep-dish – it's a heavenly minefield for a pie fan to explore.”

He says Pizza Hut “needs to reinvent itself” as the youth don't have any emotional connection or allegiance to the brand.

In recent years, Pizza Hut's market has been sliced up and spread to its fresher, faster alternatives. To maintain its expensive staffing and restaurants, it would have to raise prices – which industry analysts say is challenging at a time when personal spending are decreasing.

The managing director of Pizza Hut's international markets said the buyout aimed “to protect our customer service and save employment where possible”.

The executive stated its key goal was to maintain service at the open outlets and off-premise points and to help employees through the restructure.

But with large sums going into running its restaurants, it may be unable to invest too much in its off-premise division because the industry is “complicated and partnering with existing third-party platforms comes at a price”, analysts say.

But, he adds, cutting its costs by withdrawing from competitive urban areas could be a good way to adapt.