Pizza Hut’s two Aberdeen restaurants — at Union Square and Aberdeen Beach — have been spared closure as the chain announced the loss of 68 UK restaurants and more than 1,200 jobs.
Administrators were appointed to DC London Pie Limited, which operates Pizza Hut’s UK restaurant network, after the company was hit by “challenging trading conditions and increased costs”.
The closures will affect sites in major cities including Brighton, Hull, Bristol, Leeds and Edinburgh.
Yum! Brands, the US-based owner of the Pizza Hut brand, has stepped in to save 64 restaurants and 1,276 jobs, allowing the two Aberdeen outlets to continue trading as normal. Eleven Pizza Hut delivery sites will also close in the coming weeks.
Joint administrator Matt Callaghan of FTI Consulting said: “The joint administrators will continue to work with employees who have unfortunately been made redundant, to ensure they get the support needed.”
DC London Pie had only acquired Pizza Hut UK’s restaurant business in January, after a previous insolvency. The company also owns Pizza Hut franchises in Sweden and Denmark.
Despite the latest restructuring, Yum! Brands continues to operate 343 Pizza Hut delivery outlets across the UK, and said it remains committed to the long-term future of the brand in Britain.