Pizza Express - Next one to collapse?
Discussion
Lemming Train said:
eliot said:
Lemming Train said:
Close. It's Bidvest. So all mass-produced made in a factory for about 10 pence each by NMW eastern european's somewhere and then frozen and delivered once a week on an artic and flogged to you for £20 a time. The notiom some seem to have that they're freshly made in the back by a proper chef is 
.
Cant remember the last time i eat in a PE, . possibly 5-10’ years ago - but is that true? Surely cooking pre-made pizza would of been spotted and called out before?
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.
Issue clearly is too little footfall but also selling meals too cheaply. National living wage too unable to pass that into customers ouch
The Li-ion King said:
When a Chinese venture capital firm buys you for £900m just to say they own a UK firm, then strips the assets out, I guess it's very easy. They've gotten too big, like Lauren Goodger's bum... You can buy all manner of Pizza Express frozen meals in supermarkets, so the firm got diluted, like their Fanta in some of their branches. I never saw what the fuss was myself, the pizzas tasted like cardboard anyway.
At almost £4 a pop, the pizzas in supermarkets was expensive enough, so money should have been flowing in. As with Wrightbus last week, and Thomas Cook the week before, probably a fair amount of greed caused their demise, plus with an overseas owner, hard to track where the money has all gone. They were sold to the last firm in 2014. Quite ironic its founder always had money problems and died penniless, which is sad.
People's eating habits have changed, no one does High Street anymore, plus greedy councils make parking too expensive before you've even got your garlic bread... all of the High Street has to evolve or die, so there's going to be a few more falling by the wayside, the way the economy is heading
What assets have been stripped out?At almost £4 a pop, the pizzas in supermarkets was expensive enough, so money should have been flowing in. As with Wrightbus last week, and Thomas Cook the week before, probably a fair amount of greed caused their demise, plus with an overseas owner, hard to track where the money has all gone. They were sold to the last firm in 2014. Quite ironic its founder always had money problems and died penniless, which is sad.
People's eating habits have changed, no one does High Street anymore, plus greedy councils make parking too expensive before you've even got your garlic bread... all of the High Street has to evolve or die, so there's going to be a few more falling by the wayside, the way the economy is heading
Edited by The Li-ion King on Monday 7th October 23:28
Edited by The Li-ion King on Monday 7th October 23:29
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.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.
t. They refuse to open the top floor half the time, and diners sitting at front table have to put up with waiting punters centimetres away, along with the constant stream of takeaway moped drivers.Others tend to be too small in size as well. Pizza express at least tend to have some space.
We’ve used one in Coventry a few times....go before ice hockey, they give a decent discount to ticket holders.
Have to say I was surprised that they were reasonably tasty: was expecting something a bit dire!
Staff friendly enough, & as mentioned above, you can see the preparation.
Shame for them if the fiscal shenanigans of the Chinese owners screw them up, I’d say...but no surprise at that.
Most curiously, they have a door mat below the hand drier in the loo: stops the floor being wet: proper innovative thinking there, they deserve to survive
Have to say I was surprised that they were reasonably tasty: was expecting something a bit dire!
Staff friendly enough, & as mentioned above, you can see the preparation.
Shame for them if the fiscal shenanigans of the Chinese owners screw them up, I’d say...but no surprise at that.
Most curiously, they have a door mat below the hand drier in the loo: stops the floor being wet: proper innovative thinking there, they deserve to survive
Lemming Train said:
No different to Dominos and Pizza Hut is it?
How do you know they are frozen? In our local PE you can still watch them make the pizzas as the kitchen is open, I get that dough is delivered, the same as Dominos, but you can watch them being made here as well. Do you really believe they are just unwrapping and cooking frozen pizzas? Especially as you can pick and choose what you want on them.Lemming Train said:
eliot said:
Lemming Train said:
Close. It's Bidvest. So all mass-produced made in a factory for about 10 pence each by NMW eastern european's somewhere and then frozen and delivered once a week on an artic and flogged to you for £20 a time. The notiom some seem to have that they're freshly made in the back by a proper chef is .
Cant remember the last time i eat in a PE, . possibly 5-10’ years ago - but is that true? Surely cooking pre-made pizza would of been spotted and called out before?
PE don’t serve up cooked versions of what people buy in the supermarket. What evidence do you have that they serve frozen pizza?
hyphen 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.t. They refuse to open the top floor half the time, and diners sitting at front table have to put up with waiting punters centimetres away, along with the constant stream of takeaway moped drivers.Others tend to be too small in size as well. Pizza express at least tend to have some space.
I eat at them semi regularly as they are a fav of the kids and nieces.
I’ve never had bad food, the service can be all over the place but it’s always hot, fresh and tasty.
There is always a deal so it’s a pain to navigate that rather than just pay a lower price in the first place.
They would improve massively by having consistent pricing and by training the staff (or paying them enough to attract good ones). Would be very sad to see them go.
I’ve never had bad food, the service can be all over the place but it’s always hot, fresh and tasty.
There is always a deal so it’s a pain to navigate that rather than just pay a lower price in the first place.
They would improve massively by having consistent pricing and by training the staff (or paying them enough to attract good ones). Would be very sad to see them go.
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
Getting away with charging 20 or 30 quid for what is effectively a hot sandwich for this long is pretty good going really.
They don't. The hot sandwiches are £15 or less a go.I suspect a traditional sandwich of decent quality served in similarly convenient locations would be more than the 99p Tesco value cheese sandwich one can indulge in too
We use our local PE a fair bit - never had anything other than good experiences.
Was disappointed when the Four Seasons disappeared from the menu. Said as much to the waitress who said 'no problem, we'll make one for you'. Above and beyond.
Will really miss the PE dressing if the company does fall by the wayside.
Was disappointed when the Four Seasons disappeared from the menu. Said as much to the waitress who said 'no problem, we'll make one for you'. Above and beyond.
Will really miss the PE dressing if the company does fall by the wayside.
Roman Rhodes said:
Lemming Train said:
eliot said:
Lemming Train said:
Close. It's Bidvest. So all mass-produced made in a factory for about 10 pence each by NMW eastern european's somewhere and then frozen and delivered once a week on an artic and flogged to you for £20 a time. The notiom some seem to have that they're freshly made in the back by a proper chef is .
Cant remember the last time i eat in a PE, . possibly 5-10’ years ago - but is that true? Surely cooking pre-made pizza would of been spotted and called out before?
PE don’t serve up cooked versions of what people buy in the supermarket. What evidence do you have that they serve frozen pizza?
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!
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
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.
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