Pizza Hut UK dine-in collapses; Yum buys 64 sites

On October 20 Pizza Hut’s UK dine-in franchisee DC London Pie Ltd entered administration and appointed FTI Consulting, leaving about 75 dine-in restaurants and roughly 741 jobs at risk. Administrators reported immediate closures at 68 dine-in sites while Yum! Brands completed a pre-pack acquisition of 64 sites, saying roughly 2,259 team members will transfer to a new Yum! equity business under UK TUPE protections. Takeaway and delivery-focused Pizza Hut branches are reported to be unaffected because they operate as a separate business. The collapse follows recent financial strain, including an HMRC winding-up petition, prior rescue activity last year by Directional Capital, and reported ownership turmoil linked to Heart with Smart Limited owing nearly £40m to investors. Administrators said their priorities are operational continuity at acquired locations and supporting colleagues through the transition, while remaining sites face an uncertain future with potential redundancies or further asset sales.