Pizza Express about to go into adminstration?

[QuimJongUn]

I've seen people talking about this on social media but can't find anything about it online. Anyone heard anything/got any links?

It's daft but I've got a real fondness for the place especially with money off from Clubcard vouchers

Well, a few more gigs gone a year. If music venues carry on closing we'll starve

Oh that's sad. My first ever pizza with my first ever proper boyfriend, many decades ago - and a regular meal out with family in various cities (all the restaurants in question being pretty good). I hadn't heard this news, without giving it much thought (obviously) had thought they had survived while the newer fly by nights like Strada had overstretched themselves (I did like Strada though - that was the only other chain I'd choose over PE).

BBC website say they have one billion in debts

They'll be fine then. That's about the same as me.

The problem with Pizza Express and their ilk is the Private Equity funding model which just loads up the business with debt in the hope they can sell it on in a few years. But now with the economy stagnating there are no buyers and Pizza Express (like so many other retailers) are tied into long term sky high rents and have no assets of their own so they struggle to service the debt and have nothing they can sell off to raise money because they don't own anything.

Alec exactly. And they can’t raise prices because their core market is so used to not paying full price with vouchers...

They can't raise prices because they are already absurdly high.

Both branches have closed in my town. Qatar where they served neither wine or pork so it never translated well .Basically did kids birthday parties and school trips.

For coeliacs there is no other pizza chain here and the independents here don’t do GF pizza for some reason, let alone pasta.

Going by this thread a lot of people only go to pizza express when using vouchers, money off deals. Obviously nothing wrong with that but a business can’t survive like that.

There pizzas are ok but service can be a bit hit and miss. I think with a chain people expect it to be the same whatever branch you go it too, that’s why McDonald’s does so well it does what it says on the tin consistently. Pizza express doesn’t deliver well consistently.

Also think selling pizza express brand stuff in supermarkets hasn’t helped tbh.

They have been going steadily downhill for years. The cost of production versus price mark up makes a pizza one of the most profitable main courses out there. Quite how they ended up a billion debt is beyond me. Ah well.

The pasta dishes are disgusting microwaved food

Every time I've ordered the Pollo Pasta it's been fresh. I visited a few weeks ago and was sat near to the cooking station and saw them do it.

I quite like PE, great for a lunch when it's not full of kids.

I don’t think there’re fresh tbh, unless certain ones are but I’ve definitely seen them being pinged in the microwave in plastic trays.

www.facebook.com/pizzaexpress/videos/782612198862414/

Ps. They don't have microwaves only an oven! I work for them!

Sadly they are overpriced selling very average pizza, it was bound to happen.

I love Pex. When DC were little we lived near a Harvester and that was their restaurant of choice. Then when they were very early teens we moved near a Pex and fell in love instantly. We’ve tried other pizzas in chains and independents but nothing else compares to Pex. I agree it’s expensive but it’s so delicious it’s worth it.

Not a great surprise, we regularly go to a chain called pizza union (London) their most expensive pizza is about £6 compared to £14 in Pizza express, soft drinks £1.50, garlic bread £2.
The 3 of us can eat there for £30 including drinks & a salad and the food is nicer.
Pizza express would be £60+ for a so so meal. I don't mind spending more if we are going 'out' for dinner but for what I see as somewhere to stop for a quick lunch while out shopping they are charging too much for mediocre food.
The same applies for a lot of the other chains mentioned - GBK, awful burgers, there are a hundred places doing a better burger, Jamie's Italian - probably the worst plate of food I have ever eaten (actually we sent it all back.) Prezzo, went once, sat in an empty restaurant for 25 minutes waiting for a waiter and then left. When there is so much choice available they have to be better to survive.

@RachPL if you can give me a clue on the recipe for the Pollo Pasta I'll be forever in your debt. Have tried many times to recreate it at home and can never get it quite there.

I love Pex

Pex..... PEX....

Please tell me you don't call it that in conversation?

If people really call Pizza Express “Pex” then I’m happy for it to go under tomorrow and never be mentioned ever again.

Pex!

I have never heard Pizza Express called “Pex” ever in my life

Is Pex a thing?

Genuinely curious here.

Is Pex a thing?

It sounds like a MN acronym.

We call it PexPress... sometimes...

We call it PexPress

Give yourself an uppercut