Exact date US fast food giant will take over Pizza Hut branch as locals mourn: ‘It’s been here since I was a kid’

A US fast food giant is to take over the Pizza Hut branch as the restaurant closes its doors after 20 years on the site.

Pizza Hut will close its store in Kent this week and is set to be replaced by a major fast food chain.

The pizzeria has confirmed it will permanently close its Prospect Place, Dartford, location on July 20.

A Pizza Hut spokesperson said: “We can confirm that our Pizza Hut restaurant site in Dartford will close on July 20.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, however, if you are looking for a restaurant with catering and our famous buffet, Bluewater is just a short drive away.

“Customers can also have their favourite pizza delivered to Dartford or order it from our website.”

It has been revealed that Popeyes will now take over the existing Pizza Hut.

The American chain has begun preparations: the exterior of the building has been repainted and new signage has been installed.

It is not yet known when the new fast food outlet will welcome customers, but it will be Popeye’s first opening in Dartford.

However, Pizza Hut fans were left devastated after hearing the news of the store’s closure.

Since launching in Islington in 1973, Pizza Hut now has over 700 restaurants and delivery outlets across the UK.

During the 1980s, the chain opened an average of one restaurant per week in the UK.

But the future The pizza chain’s value remained in limbo last year as the family-favorite restaurant struggled with ongoing debt.

Heart with Smart Group, which operates 150 Pizza Hut sites in the UK, was in negotiations to refinance millions of pounds of debt from lenders.

Earlier this year, the chain also suffered a 7% drop in sales as cash-strapped customers cut back on takeaway purchases.

Meanwhile, Popeyes is launching 15 new restaurants in the UK this year.

The US chain is to open its 50th branch in Glasgow, as part of a series of imminent openings planned across the country.

And, in the following In a few months, the company will also open its very first site in Belfast, North Ireland.

Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes UK, said: “In just 30 months, our remarkable Popeyes UK team has secured a pipeline of 50 new world-class sites, including our very first site in Northern Ireland which will open very soon in Belfast.

“Currently, Popeyes UK is the fastest growing QSR chicken brand in the UK, with annual growth of 125% from May 2023 to May 2024.

“The continued demand for Popeyes in the UK is incredible, but not unexpected.

“We’ve seen overnight queues for almost every opening since our UK launch in 2021, with fried chicken fans turning up to queue more than 24 hours before new Popeyes restaurants open.

“We remain committed to our expansion plans and look forward to reaching new milestones in the years to come.”

Popeyes arrived across the Atlantic in 2021 and has proven to be a hit with hungry customers ever since.

They see 125,000 of their iconic Shatter Crunch Chicken Sandwiches cooked and enjoyed by happy customers every week.

The chain plans to double in size this year — with 30 new restaurants, drive-ins and delivery kitchens across the country.

Through these new initiatives, Popeyes hopes to create 2,000 new jobs in the UK.

Popeyes opened its first restaurant on June 12, 1972, in Arabi, Louisiana, under the name “Chicken on the Run,” but quickly changed it to Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken four days later.

After three years of running the chicken business, it was finally renamed Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken.

By 1985, Popeyes already had 500 locations in the United States and Canada.

Outside of North America, Popeyes now operates in more than 30 countries internationally.

It comes as Popeyes revealed a major change to its menu, with the fast food chain turning a viral hack into an official article.

The fast food giant noticed that many customers were adding a second chicken breast when ordering a chicken sandwich and decided to make it official.

The Double Stack sandwich is a mouthwatering treat made with two deliciously marinated Popeyes chicken breasts.

The Louisiana-based chain also introduced breakfast rolls, muffins, sweet snacks and sides.

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