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Pizza
Hut's UK business has thrown aside more than 35 years of history by
changing its name to Pasta Hut.
In spite of a £17m
investment updating many of its restaurants only this year, the group
will spend a further £100m over the next six years to revamp its
more than 700-strong UK chain, extend the number of outlets and
launch a new, expanded menu.
Alasdair Murdoch, chief
executive, said the group was changing its name to reflect better the
nutritional changes to its menu, and it would still continue to sell
pizzas as well as newer pasta-based dishes.
"We're doing it to try to
attract customers who probably haven't been for a few years,"
he said, adding that the focus would be on customers looking for
value for money.
Mr Murdoch said the name change
reflected significant changes to the nutritional content of most of
its meals. Salt has been cut and will be reduced a further 10 per
cent in the next three years to meet Food Standards Agency targets.
All traces of hydrogenated
vegetable oils will be removed from Pizza Hut menus, while some
children's menu items will contain hidden vegetables.
"Customers definitely
still want to go out, they still want small treats," said Mr
Murdoch. "The first few weeks of September have been tough"
Pizza Hut has also focused on its
online ordering, home delivery business in recent years and Mr
Murdoch said Saturday night had seen its biggest-ever demand. More
than 7,600 orders were received, a 35-40 per cent increase on the
previous week, he said. Online sales account for nearly 20 per cent
of the group's total delivery sales.
Pizza Hut was founded in Wichita,
Kansas, in 1958 and opened its first UK franchise in Islington, north
London, in 1973.
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