Exact date US fast food giant will take over Pizza Hut branch as locals sob ‘it’s been there since I was a kid’

A US fast food giant will take over Pizza Hut branch as the restaurant pulls down the shutters after 20 years at the site.

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

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Popeyes is set to replace Pizza Hut location in Dartford[/caption]

The pizza restaurant has confirmed it will be permanently shutting down its location in Prospect Place, Dartford 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 apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, however, if you are looking for a dine-in restaurant and our famous buffet, Bluewater is a short drive away.

“Alternatively customers can enjoy their favourite pizza delivered in Dartford, or order from our website.”

It has been revealed that Popeyes will be taking over the existing Pizza Hut instead.

The American chain has started preparations as the building exterior was being repainted and new signage installed.

It is still unclear when the new fast food branch will welcome its customers but it will mark Popeye’s first opening in Dartford.

However, Pizza Hut fans have been left devastated after learning the news of the store’s closure.

Since launching in Islington in 1973, Pizza Hut now has more than 700 Restaurants and Delivery outlets in the UK.

During the 1980s the chain was opening an average of one restaurant each week in the UK.

But the future of the pizza chain was left hanging in the balance last year as the family-favourite restaurant battled ongoing debt.

Heart with Smart Group, which operates all of Pizza Hut’s 150 locations in the UK, was in negotiations to refinance millions of pounds of debt with lenders.

Earlier this year, the chain had also suffered sales slump by 7 per cent as cash-squeezed customers cut back on takeaways.

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

The American chain will be rolling out their 50th branch in Glasgow, amid a string of imminent planned openings scattered across the country.

And, within the next few months the company will also be cutting the ribbon on their first ever Belfast site, in Northern Ireland.

Tom Crowley, CEO at Popeyes UK says: “In just 30 months, our remarkable Popeyes UK team has secured a pipeline of 50 top-tier new sites, including our first ever Northern Irish location which opens in Belfast very soon.

“Currently, Popeyes UK is the fastest-growing chicken QSR brand in the UK, with a 125% year-on-year growth from May 2023 to May 2024.

“The sustained 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 over 24 hours before the opening of new Popeyes restaurants.

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

Popeyes came across the pond in 2021 and has proved to be a hit with ravenous customers ever since.

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

The chain plans to double in size this year – with an additional 30 new restaurants, drive-thrus and delivery kitchens across the country.

Through these new ventures, Popeyes hopes that they will be able to generate 2000 new jobs in the UK.

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

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

By 1985, Popeyes already had 500 locations throughout the US and Canada.

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

It comes as Popeyes revealed a major menu change as the chicken chain turned a viral hack into an official item.

The fast-food giant saw how many customers added a second chicken breast when ordering a Chicken Sandwich, and they decided to make it official.

The Double Stack Sandwich is a mouth-watering treat featuring two of Popeyes’ deliciously marinated chicken breasts.

And, the Louisiana-based chain has also introduced breakfast rolls, muffins, sweet snacks and sides.