page_title: PizzaExpress
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: PizzaExpress / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Sutton's branch of the pizzeria used to be a bank and won an architectural award. Note the retention of the twin marble pillars in front of the window.
context_page_description: PizzaExpress is a restaurant group based in the United Kingdom and owned by Chinese Hony Capital. It has over 470 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 100 overseas in Europe, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, The Philippines, The United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot. In July 2014 the group was sold to the China-based private equity firm Hony Capital in a deal worth £900 million. PizzaExpress celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015.
context_section_description: Founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot, PizzaExpress opened its first restaurant in London's Wardour Street. Inspired by a trip to Italy, Boizot brought back to London a pizza oven from Naples and a chef from Sicily.
  In 1969, jazz performances began at its Dean Street restaurant, London.
  PizzaExpress expanded into the Republic of Ireland in 1995 and currently operates 14 restaurants there under the brand name Milano. Additionally, the company owns the brand name Marzano. Originally Marzano was used in countries where the brand name Pizza Express was not available, as with the use of the name Milano in the Republic of Ireland, but it also exists in some territories, such as Cyprus, to differentiate between the restaurants selling primarily pizza and those offering a wider range of non-pizza meals inspired by Italian cuisine. It is also used for a cafe-bar run as an adjunct to the branch of Pizza Express in The Forum in Norwich, "Cafe Bar Marzano".
  In 2011, PizzaExpress launched a major rebrand of its UK restaurants, with menu changes, a black and white logo and the widespread use of stripes, both for staff uniforms and for restaurant decor.
  In 2017, PizzaExpress launched 'PizzaExpress Live'.
  In October 2019, PizzaExpress hired financial advisors in preparation for its talks with creditors. The chain had been experiencing financial difficulties arising from a downturn in consumer demand for eating out.
  In March 2020, all UK restaurants were forced to close indefinitely due to nationwide lockdown rules introduced by the government to limit the spread of COVID-19. On 28 May 2020, select London restaurants reopened for delivery services as the government began to lift lockdown restrictions. In July it was announced that "dozens" of the closed restaurants would not be reopening. The restaurant group was reported to have a debt pile of £1.1 billion. The next month, it was announced that the company is set to close around 67 restaurants throughout the UK and also cut 1,100 jobs.
caption: The Sutton, London branch, which opened in the late 1980s, and won a local architectural award
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