Goodbye garlic bread? Sandbrook Park Pizza Hut to shut as 68 UK branches axed

Tuesday, 21 October 2025 14:31

By David Murphy

Rochdale’s Pizza Hut restaurant is among dozens of UK branches set to permanently shut, after the company that operated the brand in the UK fell into administration.

The branch at Sandbrook Park has been named as one of 68 Pizza Hut restaurants to close across the country. It joins six others in Greater Manchester, including outlets in Ashton, Bolton, Oldham, Urmston, Wigan and Manchester Fort.

The closures come after DC London Pie Ltd, which had only acquired the Pizza Hut UK restaurant business from insolvency last year, appointed administrators FTI Consulting this week. The administration triggered a major restructuring of the business.

Pizza Hut’s remaining UK dine-in branches have been acquired by Yum! Brands, the American company that owns the global Pizza Hut franchise. The rescue deal secures 64 restaurants and preserves around 1,277 jobs. However, it is estimated that 1,210 staff across the UK are at risk of redundancy due to the combined closure of both restaurant and delivery-only sites.

Pizza Hut Europe and Canada said the restructure aimed to "safeguard our guest experience and protect jobs where possible", with an emphasis on operational stability and supporting staff through the transition.

The Rochdale restaurant had been part of the Sandbrook Park leisure complex for many years and underwent a refurbishment in 2015 to reflect the brand’s then-new American diner style.

The business has faced increasing financial pressures since the pandemic and has struggled to compete with newer, more agile food outlets. Despite a legacy in the UK dating back to 1973, when the first branch opened, the chain has steadily contracted after reaching a peak of nearly 700 restaurants by 2006.

HMRC filed a winding-up petition against DC London Pie just days before the administration, raising further questions about the business's viability.