PIZZA Express is launching a takeaway chain where you can buy coffee, pastries and pizzas by the slice.
The first of the new cafés – called ZA – will open in London next month but there are plans for more in future.
In the style of café chains such as Pret and EAT, ZA – which means “little bit of pizza” – will serve freshly made food that you can eat in or take out.
Dishes will include pizza wraps, hot slices of pizza, salad-topped ultra-thin pizzas called “piu leggera”, the chain’s famous dough balls, and sandwich wraps made with Italian flatbread called “piadine”.
In the morning, the cafés will sell fresh fruit, breakfast flatbreads, coffee and pastries.
Unlike chains such as Pret, you will also be able to order a Peroni beer, glass of wine or even a cocktail with your lunch.
ZA is a return to the chain’s roots, as the late founder Peter Boizot started the business by selling fresh, hot pizza by the slice in 1965.
It’s also an attempt to stay “relevant” on the struggling high street, according to its managing director Zoe Bowley.
Last week, we revealed Pizza Express has debts of more than £1 billion, as other high street chains including Jamie’s Italian and Prezzo shut restaurants.
Could ZA help Pizza Express stay on the high street? That’s the hope, at least.
Ms Bowley said in a statement: “For the last 18 months, we have been undertaking in-depth consumer and market research to understand how we can stay true to our amazing heritage, and Peter’s original vision for PizzaExpress, whilst ensuring we remain relevant for the future.
“Our resilient performance gives me the confidence to invest in a series of exciting initiatives which will benefit all elements of the business.
“One of the most exciting for me is ZA, which takes us into a new area and we look forward to welcoming commuters to our first location in London and continuing to bring great pizza and good times to the UK.”
As well as ZA, Pizza Express restaurants across the country will slowly be redesigned.
There will also be more live music nights, according to the company.
No further details have been released yet on where in London and when in February the first branch will open, as well as how much ZA’s dishes will cost.
The first Pizza Express restaurant opened in Wardour Street in Soho in 1965.
Now the chain has 600 restaurants across the world, including 490 in the UK and Ireland.
Thirty-five million of its pizzas are sold in UK supermarkets every year.
You can find your nearest branch using its online restaurant finder.
Pizza Express isn’t the only restaurant chain to struggle on the high street.
Jamie Oliver announced plans to close 12 branches of Jamie’s Italian last year as his restaurants lost £9.9million in 2017.
Byron Burger also announced plans to close 20 restaurants in order to keep the business afloat.
Later in the year, Carluccio’s announced that it would have to close 30 branches as part of restructuring plans.
And Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) also announced plans to close 17 branches late last year.
