Pizza Express to axe 1,300 jobs in the UK
Pizza Express has announced it will cut around 1,300 jobs across the UK, on top of the 1,100 announced this summer.
The pizza chain said trade has worsened as tighter restrictions came into force across the UK under the new three-tier system.
The company said roles will be cut from its 370 UK restaurants through both compulsory and voluntary redundancies.
The job cuts come on top of the 1,100 jobs earmarked as at risk by Pizza Express in August.
The restaurant chain last month said it will push forward with plans to permanently shutter 73 restaurants across the country, after a company restructure was approved by creditors.
“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,” said managing director Zoe Bowley.
“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.”
She added: “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.”