Birmingham consultancy helping Pizza Hut get a bigger slice of the market

BIRMINGHAM design consultancy Harrison is set to complete the largest ever Pizza Hut refurbishment programme in the UK.

Pizza Hut Restaurants is spending £785,000 on the renovation of the outlet on the Eureka Leisure Park at Ashford in Kent.

The work is part of a £60m nationwide refurbishment and restructuring programme by owner Rutland Partners that has already seen more than 100 restaurants receive makeovers.

Harrison’s lead designer on the project is Aoife Kenny Fallon, who heads a team responsible for repositioning a restaurant name which has operated in the UK for over four decades and in the United States for almost six.  

She said: “The new designs embrace the strong American heritage of the Pizza Hut brand and create excitement for a broader customer base.  In Ashford, this approach is taken a step further by building the brand’s attraction as an evening, as well as a daytime, destination.”

The Ashford diner features authentic touches and vibrant colours, from the red and blue leather seating through to neon light fittings and stand-out artworks.  

The overall design is intended enhance the appeal of the diner as an evening venue rather than just a daytime facility.

The decor is more sophisticated and interactive than before, with a stand-out feature wall taking centre stage.  There is also a distinct move towards intimate booths at the front of the restaurant space and a more convivial party and family-style seating further into the diner.

“A key part of our brief was to allow the Pizza Hut Restaurants brand to transcend from day to night, therefore much of our design focus has been on promoting the venue not just as a buffet, but also as a restaurant and cocktail destination for evening custom,” added Ms Fallon.  

“We introduced a large cocktail bar, which automatically makes the space feel more adult, but we didn’t neglect our younger diners, with the continuation of the Ice Cream Factory and specific Pizza Hut Restaurants icons to target each demographic.

“The zoning and variations in approach throughout the new scheme mean that the appeal of the design is broad and doesn’t alienate customers.”

Materials used include reclaimed timber, lacquered steel and a carefully-selected palette of fabrics and textures.