Pizza Express - Next one to collapse?
Discussion
ChevyChase77 said:
Roman Rhodes said:
ChevyChase77 said:
Roman Rhodes said:
EarlOfHazard said:
Roman Rhodes said:
Yertis said:
I love Pizza Express. I can’t honestly say I’ve ever had the crap service reported here, it’s like you’re talking about a different brand. OTOH Franco Manco is a wretched pretentious place and horrible eating experience. Yuk.
Which Franco Manca have you been to and what was the problem? I’ve always found FM more authentic and way superior to the mass produced offerings of PE and others like Pizza Hut.Big difference in prices though as FM pizza is under a tenner and PE are around 15 (if you go Romano at least).
I've used the O2 Priority at PE to get a £5 main meal (up to Thursdays I think?). Can't complain at those prices!
Nothing major against PE - it is what it is - but FM is a rather different proposition and one which I prefer.
I would have thought that their presence on Groupon and their almost entire reliance on deals and codes would have indicated a while back they were in a pickle.
We used to use them quite often as I get pizza express vouchers from my Tesco MasterCard. I actually had a query about the use of the vouchers the other day and asked them it on their Facebook page. I received some very rude and contradictory advice from them which was pretty bizarre. When I queried this with them on their Facebook page, whoever was in charge of it replied : 'weve answered your question now. Twice'. Then they deleted the message exchange which had been in full view of their followers and anyone who had subscribed to the page.
Maybe he was having a bad day in the office. It was very odd tho.
We used to use them quite often as I get pizza express vouchers from my Tesco MasterCard. I actually had a query about the use of the vouchers the other day and asked them it on their Facebook page. I received some very rude and contradictory advice from them which was pretty bizarre. When I queried this with them on their Facebook page, whoever was in charge of it replied : 'weve answered your question now. Twice'. Then they deleted the message exchange which had been in full view of their followers and anyone who had subscribed to the page.
Maybe he was having a bad day in the office. It was very odd tho.
hyphen said:
Roman Rhodes said:
alock said:
I boycott them years ago following a press release about them pandering to political pressure in how they source their ingredients.
They wont be missed by me.
They wont be missed by me.
Alock- which ingredient sourcing policy are you talking about?
Edited by hyphen on Tuesday 8th October 08:43
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=14...
Roman Rhodes said:
ChevyChase77 said:
Roman Rhodes said:
ChevyChase77 said:
Roman Rhodes said:
EarlOfHazard said:
Roman Rhodes said:
Yertis said:
I love Pizza Express. I can’t honestly say I’ve ever had the crap service reported here, it’s like you’re talking about a different brand. OTOH Franco Manco is a wretched pretentious place and horrible eating experience. Yuk.
Which Franco Manca have you been to and what was the problem? I’ve always found FM more authentic and way superior to the mass produced offerings of PE and others like Pizza Hut.Big difference in prices though as FM pizza is under a tenner and PE are around 15 (if you go Romano at least).
I've used the O2 Priority at PE to get a £5 main meal (up to Thursdays I think?). Can't complain at those prices!
Nothing major against PE - it is what it is - but FM is a rather different proposition and one which I prefer.
To clarify, their issues (and potential collpase) are to do with the unsustainable massive debt accrued through the Private Equity firm rather than the restaurants not turning a profit/doing poorly?
A post earlier stated: "Gross profit £125.5m, operating profit £38.2m"
FWIW, I've never had a problem with Pizza Express. Been pleasant enough the times I've been.
As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
A post earlier stated: "Gross profit £125.5m, operating profit £38.2m"
FWIW, I've never had a problem with Pizza Express. Been pleasant enough the times I've been.
Lemming Train said:
Delivering frozen pizzas to them out of the back of my 26 tonner when I worked on agency for Bidvest. I confess I have no idea what they do with them after that but logically they'd be taking them out of their freezers and bunging it in their oven when someone orders one. Maybe it's just the bases then and they defrost them and make the topping on site?
Maybe the garlic bread?As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
g3org3y said:
Maybe the garlic bread?
As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
Pizza Express,Zizzi and Ask all use the same dough. All made in the same factory.As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
Ask and Zizzi was exactly the same size portion, Pizza express is smaller.
Dough is made. Turned in to a ball, flash frozen, boxed up and sent to restaurants. Who then defrost it and use it as needed.
Jordan210 said:
g3org3y said:
Maybe the garlic bread?
As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
Pizza Express,Zizzi and Ask all use the same dough. All made in the same factory.As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
Ask and Zizzi was exactly the same size portion, Pizza express is smaller.
Dough is made. Turned in to a ball, flash frozen, boxed up and sent to restaurants. Who then defrost it and use it as needed.
markcoznottz said:
Jordan210 said:
g3org3y said:
Maybe the garlic bread?
As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
Pizza Express,Zizzi and Ask all use the same dough. All made in the same factory.As has been said by others, have seen them make the pizza in the open (also confirmed by friend who used to work there).
Ask and Zizzi was exactly the same size portion, Pizza express is smaller.
Dough is made. Turned in to a ball, flash frozen, boxed up and sent to restaurants. Who then defrost it and use it as needed.
vonuber said:
Service has definitely gone downhill. It takes ages to order and even longer to pay.
There just never seem to be enough staff around.
You can pay by app. Haven't tried it myself yet, but saw a sign for it last time I was in.There just never seem to be enough staff around.
Plus, as they are doing less for you, no need to tip
Jordan210 said:
Pizza Express,Zizzi and Ask all use the same dough. All made in the same factory.
Ask and Zizzi was exactly the same size portion, Pizza express is smaller.
Dough is made. Turned in to a ball, flash frozen, boxed up and sent to restaurants. Who then defrost it and use it as needed.
Don't be coming in here with facts, Jordan!Ask and Zizzi was exactly the same size portion, Pizza express is smaller.
Dough is made. Turned in to a ball, flash frozen, boxed up and sent to restaurants. Who then defrost it and use it as needed.
princeperch said:
The only problem with all the deals floating around is that when my wife comes home and says she had lunch there with her mate and didn't use a voucher I go f
king mental.
I wonder how much discounting undermines the business, putting them in a cant-afford-not-to when everyone else does scenario?king mental. Teddy Lop said:
I wonder how much discounting undermines the business, putting them in a cant-afford-not-to when everyone else does scenario?
Pricing etc. in the UK restaurants is not the cause of the current problem really. Splits as followsUK & Ireland turnover £441.4m with £50.4m operating profit
That, by anyone's standards, is not a bad business
The issue that PE has got to deal with is that it has been too good at raising debt. Now, we can argue about whether the sellers of the debt were bandits or that the buyers were schmucks. But the end point is the same
It owes £1.1 billion pounds! Most of it at pretty high interest rates
£665m to bond holders (£465m at 6.625% repayable Aug 2021 and £200m at 8.625% repayable Aug 2022)
£466.9m to the parent company at 10% repayable Aug 2024
There is no chance at all of the business generating £465m in time to repay that Aug 2021 bond. It will, therefore, need to refinance some, most or all of it. The market is making it known to PE that it isn't joyous about refinancing it: that might mean it doesn't get a straightforward refinance and the owner has to give up some equity. Or it might mean the refinance costs a lot more
Lemming Train said:
Jordan210 said:
Pizza Express,Zizzi and Ask all use the same dough. All made in the same factory.
Ask and Zizzi was exactly the same size portion, Pizza express is smaller.
Dough is made. Turned in to a ball, flash frozen, boxed up and sent to restaurants. Who then defrost it and use it as needed.
Don't be coming in here with facts, Jordan!Ask and Zizzi was exactly the same size portion, Pizza express is smaller.
Dough is made. Turned in to a ball, flash frozen, boxed up and sent to restaurants. Who then defrost it and use it as needed.
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