Pizza Express cuts additional 1,300 jobs as coronavirus restrictions impact

A UK pizza chain has confirmed that no further restaurants will be closed as it cuts 1,300 jobs across the country.

Pizza Express, which closed 73 restaurants in August - affecting 1,100 jobs - said that the additional cuts are due to coronavirus restrictions.

It said that it has seen a decline in diners since September in its remaining 370 venues, with a particular dip in its city centre locations.

This is partially due to capacity constraints as social distancing measures mean that locations can serve fewer customers.

Zoe Bowley, managing director of Pizza Express, commented: “Our aim throughout these extremely challenging times has been to keep our team members and customers safe, and to retain jobs for as long as possible.

“As a leading employer in our sector, we see every day how this pandemic is having a profound impact on our industry, our business and on people’s lives.

“Unfortunately, the recent increase in Covid-19 cases is again causing footfall to decline across the UK.

“As this is expected to continue for some months, we sadly need to make changes that will impact more of our team members.

“Our people remain at the heart of our business and we are doing what we can to support those who are affected.

“We believe that this difficult decision will give us more resilience through the next six months and help us to continue serving our customers in our restaurants and at home in the years ahead.”

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