Palacefinder General
Well-known member
- Apr 5, 2019
- 2,594
100%, if I can’t be arsed making the dough, Sainsbury’s pizza base mix (65p) is the business, 30p can of chopped tomatoes, mozzarella and whatever else you like.
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[Food] Pizza Express on the brink?
- Thread starter Wozza
- Start date
100%, if I can’t be arsed making the dough, Sainsbury’s pizza base mix (65p) is the business, 30p can of chopped tomatoes, mozzarella and whatever else you like.
Nothing to do with pizza, everything to do with asset stripping and management tinkering
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,267
I'm going to buck the trend and say the last meal I had at Pizza Express (Gloucester Road, Kensington) was very nice and the service was good.
That said, who'd be a restaurant owner now? If the likes of Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey can't make it work it what hope has anybody else got?
I echo the comments about better choice of products from supermarkets and Deliveroo bringing food to your door is a big factor but - let's face it - most people in restaurant are on their phones and when you get to that point the writing's on the wall.
That said, who'd be a restaurant owner now? If the likes of Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey can't make it work it what hope has anybody else got?
I echo the comments about better choice of products from supermarkets and Deliveroo bringing food to your door is a big factor but - let's face it - most people in restaurant are on their phones and when you get to that point the writing's on the wall.
brakespear
Doctor Worm
Sainsburys do (or at least did last time I bought it) pre-rolled pizza dough for pretty cheap as well.
edit: I also have to admit that I quite like the food at Pizza Express
Knocky's Nose
Mon nez est retiré.
I was a regular at the Eastbourne store for almost 20 years. We used to go there as a family when the kids were growing up pretty much once a week..
I'm loathe to admit it, but it was that little bit more expensive than Deep Pan Pizza / Pizza Hut etc. so your snotty nosed screaming kids and shell-suit wearing mouth-breather parents shouting and swearing at each other wasn't a thing. It was civilised, clean, tidy - and the food was good.
Then came the 2 for 1 offers, Tastecards and so on. It then becomes reasonably cheap - and in flood the herberts who want to maximise their value and order tap water with their food, don't have a coffee - and so on.
To counter this, Pizza Express then ramp up the price of their food to ludicrous amounts which scares off anyone who doesn't have the 2 for 1 cards. Then starts the downward spiral.
I'm loathe to admit it, but it was that little bit more expensive than Deep Pan Pizza / Pizza Hut etc. so your snotty nosed screaming kids and shell-suit wearing mouth-breather parents shouting and swearing at each other wasn't a thing. It was civilised, clean, tidy - and the food was good.
Then came the 2 for 1 offers, Tastecards and so on. It then becomes reasonably cheap - and in flood the herberts who want to maximise their value and order tap water with their food, don't have a coffee - and so on.
To counter this, Pizza Express then ramp up the price of their food to ludicrous amounts which scares off anyone who doesn't have the 2 for 1 cards. Then starts the downward spiral.
Same old, same old.
Too many mediocre restaurant chains churning out mediocre food and having to rely on 'voucher discount' business to get the punters in and hence reducing profit margin.
Vastly over expanded and often paying ludicrous rents.
Add in dodgy 'financial engineering', short termism, lack of investment and you are looking at an eventual shite storm.
Too many mediocre restaurant chains churning out mediocre food and having to rely on 'voucher discount' business to get the punters in and hence reducing profit margin.
Vastly over expanded and often paying ludicrous rents.
Add in dodgy 'financial engineering', short termism, lack of investment and you are looking at an eventual shite storm.
blue-shifted
Banned
I suppose a discussion of total redesign of how businesses pay tax should be for a different thread
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,267
I'm with you on the tax thing, and red tape in general.
Why open a High Street restaurant when you have to contend with business rates, health and safety rules, recruiting then rostering a flexible workforce, dealing with taxation of tips, Deliveroo, supermarkets, more pubs offering decent food, pop-up food kiosks, increasing price of food, weak pound and increasingly high expectations from punters?
Those in prime locations will be fine but your average Joe high street restaurant faces extinction.
Lower West Stander
Well-known member
Nailed on CVA at best. Combo of obsolete business model (all about home delivery and street food now), too much debt after going private and onerous leases. Its bust in its current form in all but name.
Unsecured bonds trading in the mid 20s which tells you all you need to know.
Unsecured bonds trading in the mid 20s which tells you all you need to know.
And that's a discussion I'm definitely not qualified for!
Barham's tash
Well-known member
The trend towards Deliveroo/Uber/JustEat etc really really worries me. Last Friday we wanted fish and chips from our preferred outlet but you have to order in advance such is the popularity and in the aim of convenience and not being able to physically get on a phone to order I looked to see if they accepted online orders. They did but only if you also had it delivered by Deliveroo. Large cod - £7.00 in the shop - £8.95 on Deliveroo, Chips £2.20 in the shop - £3.70 on Deliveroo, plus delivery fee of £3.50 AND a service fee of 50p.
Why do people have money to throw away like this AND not go out and socialise with one another/other people, or for a couple of drinks before etc? We as a race are marching towards being wholly representative of the 'humans' in Wall-E. It's frightening.
Then of course the younger among us will moan that we can't afford to buy a house or saving up for a deposit is impossible yet happily never cook at home and overspend by roughly £10 a meal for two people three or four times a week out of convenience. We're literally ****ed.
Megazone
On his last warning
We already are.
How many people on here talk in person to each other more than they do on NSC?
They wont fold if they get more dough!
Knocky's Nose
Mon nez est retiré.
mikeyjh
Well-known member
100% - It's uber trendy to knock a chain but there are many many worse pizzas out there in independents and chains, I like a Pizza Express and will miss them if they go...
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,877
I have one near me, been once.
The reality is that there are loads of smaller independent ones which are much much better.
Pizza is so simple, you've really got to be offering something amazing to get people into a high rent large restaurant.
To be honest (excluding the utter trash ones), once a pizza is put on a cardboard box to steam on the back of a bike there isn't much to differentiate them.
The reality is that there are loads of smaller independent ones which are much much better.
Pizza is so simple, you've really got to be offering something amazing to get people into a high rent large restaurant.
To be honest (excluding the utter trash ones), once a pizza is put on a cardboard box to steam on the back of a bike there isn't much to differentiate them.