Papa Johns in Essex among more than 40 of chain's pizzerias being closed down

Papa Johns is set to close their restaurant in an Essex town within the next two months. The takeaway pizza business said they would be closing their branch in Billericay as part of plans to shut down more than 40 across the UK.

The Billericay branch does not currently have a set closing date, but it's believed they will be shut down by mid-May following a consultation process. The company confirmed the decision to shut these "underperforming" locations after a review earlier this year.

The number of staff affected by the closure of the Western Road branch has not been disclosed yet. Previously, the group said it planned for "strategic closures" to save money for investment and boost profitability at its remaining UK sites. Now, it has identified 43 restaurants as "underperforming locations that are no longer financially viable".

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Chris Phylactou, managing director at Papa Johns UK, told the Mirror: "Our priority is our team members, who will be fully supported throughout this process. Our goal is to work with impacted team members and attempt to find redeployment opportunities where available. We understand the impact this will have on our team members and are committed to supporting them during this time."

Papa Johns said it plans to increase investment in research and tech, such as better utilising customer data, as part of its UK strategy. It also plans to explore new types of sites beyond traditional restaurants, like expanding into holiday parks, and is set to "announce other large retail partners in the coming months".

Mr Phylactou added: “While this is a difficult decision, closing these underperforming locations will give us the opportunity to invest back into the right locations with the right partners for long-term growth.

“We are focused on driving shared profitable growth across our UK restaurants, by continuing to make improvements to our business to ensure that we are well-positioned for the future. We have been encouraged by the results so far from these initiatives.”

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