PizzaExpress to axe another 1,300 jobs after trade plummets

The reduction will take place through a combination of voluntary and compulsory redundancies, with job losses expected at all of its remaining 370 sites.

It comes less than two months after PizzaExpress confirmed 73 restaurant closures from across its UK estate as part of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

The closures put 1,100 roles at risk, and the new losses come on top of this.

Commenting on the announcement, PizzaExpress managing director Zoe Bowley said: “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.

"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.

“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.”