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At one time, the popular pizza chain was the go-to for parents and children to feast on its unlimited dining experience, help-yourself greens station, and make-your-own dessert.

Yet fewer diners are visiting the restaurant currently, and it is shutting down 50% of its British restaurants after being rescued from insolvency for the second instance this year.

I remember going Pizza Hut when I was a child,” says Prudence. “It was like a family thing, you'd go on a Sunday – make a day of it.” But now, as a young adult, she states “it's not a thing anymore.”

In the view of a diner in her twenties, certain features Pizza Hut has been known and loved for since it launched in the UK in the mid-20th century are now less appealing.

“How they do their buffet and their salad bar, it seems as if they are cutting corners and have inferior offerings... They provide so much food and you're like ‘How is that possible?’”

As grocery costs have risen sharply, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become increasingly pricey to maintain. As have its restaurants, which are being cut from over 130 to just over 60.

The company, like many others, has also seen its expenses go up. Earlier this year, labor expenses increased due to higher minimum pay and an increase in employer national insurance contributions.

Two diners mention they would often visit at Pizza Hut for a date “every now and then”, but now they order in Domino's and think Pizza Hut is “not good value”.

Depending on your order, Pizza Hut and Domino's rates are comparable, explains a food expert.

While Pizza Hut provides off-premise options through external services, it is losing out to larger chains which focus exclusively to off-premise dining.

“Domino's has succeeded in leading the takeaway pizza sector thanks to aggressive marketing and ongoing discounts that make shoppers feel like they're saving money, when in reality the standard rates are relatively expensive,” explains the specialist.

Yet for the couple it is acceptable to get their date night delivered to their door.

“We definitely eat at home now instead of we eat out,” comments Joanne, matching recent statistics that show a drop in people frequenting casual and fast-food restaurants.

During the summer months, casual and fast-food restaurants saw a six percent decline in patrons compared to the previous year.

Moreover, a further alternative to ordered-in pies: the cook-at-home oven pizza.

A hospitality expert, senior partner at a leading firm, points out that not only have supermarkets been providing premium oven-ready pizzas for years – some are even promoting home-pizza ovens.

“Evolving preferences are also playing a factor in the popularity of casual eateries,” states the expert.

The increased interest of low-carb regimens has boosted sales at grilled chicken brands, while reducing sales of high-carbohydrate options, he adds.

As people go out to eat more rarely, they may look for a more high-quality meal, and Pizza Hut's classic look with comfortable booths and nostalgic table settings can feel more dated than upmarket.

The “explosion of high-quality pizzerias” over the last decade and a half, for example boutique chains, has “completely altered the public's perception of what excellent pie is,” explains the culinary analyst.

“A thin, flavorful, gentle crust with a carefully curated additions, not the massively greasy, heavy and overloaded pizzas of the past. This, in my view, is what's resulted in Pizza Hut's downfall,” she comments.

“Who would choose to spend £17.99 on a small, substandard, disappointing pizza from a large brand when you can get a stunning, expertly crafted traditional pie for a lower price at one of the many authentic Italian pizzerias around the country?

“It's an easy choice.”

Dan Puddle, who runs a small business based in a regional area comments: “People haven’t stopped liking pizza – they just want better pizza for their money.”

Dan says his adaptable business can offer premium pizza at reasonable rates, and that Pizza Hut faced challenges because it was unable to evolve with evolving tastes.

According to Pizzarova in a city in southwest England, the founder says the sector is broadening but Pizza Hut has failed to offer anything innovative.

“There are now slice concepts, regional varieties, new haven, sourdough, traditional Italian, deep-dish – it's a heavenly minefield for a pizza enthusiast to try.”

Jack says Pizza Hut “must rebrand” as newer generations don't have any sense of nostalgia or allegiance to the company.

In recent years, Pizza Hut's share has been divided and allocated to its trendier, more nimble alternatives. To maintain its costly operations, it would have to charge more – which industry analysts say is tough at a time when family finances are tightening.

The leadership of Pizza Hut's international markets said the rescue aimed “to safeguard our guest experience and retain staff where possible”.

He said its immediate priority was to keep running at the surviving locations and takeaway hubs and to help employees through the change.

Yet with significant funds going into maintaining its outlets, it may be unable to allocate significant resources in its delivery service because the sector is “complex and working with existing external services comes at a expense”, commentators say.

But, he adds, cutting its costs by withdrawing from competitive urban areas could be a effective strategy to evolve.