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At one time, Pizza Hut was the favorite for parents and children to feast on its unlimited dining experience, endless salad selection, and make-your-own dessert.

However fewer customers are choosing the restaurant nowadays, and it is reducing 50% of its British restaurants after being rescued from insolvency for the second time this calendar year.

I remember going Pizza Hut when I was a child,” explains a young adult. “It was like a family thing, you'd go on a Sunday – spend the whole day there.” Today, aged 24, she states “it's not a thing anymore.”

In the view of young customer Martina, certain features Pizza Hut has been known and loved for since it opened in the UK in the seventies are now outdated.

“The way they do their buffet and their salad bar, it appears that they are cutting corners and have inferior offerings... They provide so much food and you're like ‘How?’”

Since food prices have soared, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become very expensive to run. The same goes for its restaurants, which are being sliced from over 130 to just over 60.

The business, in common with competitors, has also experienced its costs go up. This spring, employee wages jumped due to higher minimum pay and an rise in employer taxes.

Chris, 36, and Joanne, 29 say they would often visit at Pizza Hut for a date “every now and then”, but now they choose another pizza brand and think Pizza Hut is “not good value”.

Based on your selection, Pizza Hut and Domino's prices are close, says a food expert.

Although Pizza Hut has pickup and delivery through external services, it is falling behind to big rivals which solely cater to this market.

“The rival chain has taken over the delivery market thanks to strong promotions and ongoing discounts that make customers feel like they're finding a good deal, when in reality the original prices are relatively expensive,” explains the specialist.

But for these customers it is acceptable to get their evening together brought to their home.

“We definitely eat at home now more than we eat out,” explains Joanne, echoing current figures that show a drop in people going to casual and fast-food restaurants.

During the summer months, informal dining venues saw a 6% drop in patrons compared to last summer.

Additionally, another rival to restaurant and takeaway pizzas: the cook-at-home oven pizza.

Will Hawkley, global lead for leisure at a leading firm, notes that not only have supermarkets been providing premium ready-to-bake pizzas for quite a while – some are even promoting pizza-making appliances.

“Lifestyle changes are also contributing in the popularity of casual eateries,” comments the expert.

The rising popularity of protein-rich eating plans has increased sales at chicken shops, while affecting sales of high-carbohydrate options, he adds.

Since people visit restaurants more rarely, they may prefer a more premium experience, and Pizza Hut's American-diner style with vinyl benches and red and white checked plastic table cloths can feel more old-fashioned than luxurious.

The rise of artisanal pizza places” over the last several years, for example popular brands, has “dramatically shifted the consumer view of what excellent pie is,” notes the culinary analyst.

“A crisp, airy, digestible pizza with a select ingredients, not the massively greasy, heavy and overloaded pizzas of the past. This, in my view, is what's resulted in Pizza Hut's decline,” she comments.

“What person would spend a high price on a tiny, mediocre, unsatisfying pizza from a franchise when you can get a beautiful, masterfully-made traditional pie for less than ten pounds at one of the many traditional pizzerias around the country?

“It's a no-brainer.”

Dan Puddle, who owns Smokey Deez based in a regional area says: “People haven’t lost interest in pizza – they just want better pizza for their money.”

The owner says his mobile setup can offer high-quality pie at reasonable rates, and that Pizza Hut faced challenges because it was unable to evolve with new customer habits.

From the perspective of a small pizza brand in a UK location, the founder says the sector is diversifying but Pizza Hut has neglected to introduce anything new.

“You now have slice concepts, regional varieties, thin crust, fermented dough, traditional Italian, deep-dish – it's a wonderful array for a pizza-loving consumer to explore.”

The owner says Pizza Hut “should transform” as newer generations don't have any emotional connection or allegiance to the chain.

Over time, Pizza Hut's customer base has been fragmented and distributed to its more modern, agile alternatives. To keep up its expensive staffing and restaurants, it would have to increase costs – which experts say is challenging at a time when household budgets are shrinking.

The managing director of Pizza Hut's international markets said the acquisition aimed “to protect our customer service and protect jobs where possible”.

He said its first focus was to continue operating at the remaining 64 restaurants and delivery sites and to help employees through the change.

However with significant funds going into maintaining its outlets, it may be unable to invest too much in its delivery service because the sector is “complicated and working with existing external services comes at a price”, experts say.

But, he adds, lowering overhead by exiting oversaturated towns and city centres could be a smart move to evolve.