The Changing Face of Britain's High Streets
The familiar sight of pizza restaurants on UK high streets is becoming less common, with their presence steadily shrinking in recent years. This decline follows a period of rapid expansion over a decade ago, marking a significant shift in Britain's dining habits.
Domino's Leadership Change Signals Market Shift
The pizza industry received a jolt this week when Domino's Pizza Group announced its chief executive had stepped down after just two years in the role. The departure comes shortly after Andrew Rennie, who worked for Domino's for more than twenty years, suggested the UK might be approaching 'peak pizza' in comments to the Financial Times.
Rennie stated there wasn't 'massive growth' remaining in the UK's pizza market and indicated the company should broaden its menu, particularly given the fast-growing demand for fried chicken.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Data from restaurant analysts CGA reveals the scale of this change: the number of chain pizza restaurants has fallen from 5,000 in 2015 to just 3,750 today. Major players including Pizza Express, Pizza Hut, and Papa Johns have all closed outlets in recent years.
Most dramatically, Pizza Hut announced the closure of 68 restaurants just a month ago after the company behind its UK venues fell into administration.
The Rise of Fried Chicken
While pizza remains a cornerstone of UK fast food—with usage holding steady at around 45% of consumers according to Mintel's Trish Caddy—chicken shops are gaining significant ground. Their usage has edged up from 37% in 2023 to 39% in 2025.
Among Gen Z, chicken shop usage hits 52%, almost matching pizza outlets at 56%. This demographic shift is driving substantial investment in the sector, with KFC investing £1.5 billion in the UK and Ireland and adding more than 50 outlets this year alone.
The US-founded Popeyes chain has demonstrated even more explosive growth, expanding from 32 UK sites in 2023 to more than 80 in 2025.
A Crowded Competitive Landscape
Pizza chains face pressure from multiple fronts beyond just chicken shops. Reuben Pullan of CGA notes there's 'so much more consumer choice' with numerous brands competing for the same spending.
Asian-inspired chains including Dishoom, Sticks'n'Sushi, Giggling Squid, and Pho have all eaten into pizza's market share. Meanwhile, supermarkets have upgraded their chilled and frozen pizza ranges, providing cheaper alternatives for cost-conscious consumers.
The rise of delivery apps like Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats has also transformed the market, enabling many more restaurants to enter the home-delivery space that pizza chains once dominated.
Contrasting Perspectives on Pizza's Future
Despite these challenges, some analysts remain optimistic about pizza's prospects. Douglas Jack of Peel Hunt argues the pizza market is far from overdone, pointing to continued growth led by takeaways and the rise of more upmarket operators like Franco Manca, Pizza Pilgrims, Yard Sale Pizza, and Rudy's.
Industry consultant Peter Backman's research shows sales via pizza restaurants have risen from £1.3 billion in 2015 to approximately £2.3 billion in 2024, growing every single year including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Backman expects the market to keep expanding as pizza chains 'embrace delivery in ways other sectors haven't' and capitalise on comparatively low ingredient costs that support healthy margins.
Jack attributes Domino's slower growth this year to specific factors including the warm summer reducing appetite for ordering in and the absence of a major men's football tournament that typically drives sofa dining.
He concludes: 'There is no evidence people are going to give up eating pizza. There is polarisation, not the entire market going down.'
