Editing PizzaExpress (section)

==History==
[[File:Pizza Express High St Sutton Surrey London.JPG|thumb|The [[Sutton, London]] branch, which opened in the late 1980s, and won a local architectural award]]
[[File:PizzaExpress Pizza.png|thumb|Example of food from PizzaExpress]]
[[File:Jamie Cullum at PizzaExpress Jazz Club.png|upright|thumb|alt=|[[Jamie Cullum]] playing live at PizzaExpress Jazz Club, 10 Dean Street, Soho, London]]
[[File:Veneziana Pizza.jpg|thumb|Veneziana Pizza]]

[[Peter Boizot]] opened the first Pizza Express restaurant in [[Wardour Street]], London, in 1965. Inspired by a trip to Italy, Boizot brought back to London a pizza oven from [[Naples]] and a chef from [[Sicily]]. In 1969, jazz performances began at its [[Dean Street]] restaurant, London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peach-report.com/Latest/686503/pizzaexpress_founder_peter_boizot_an_industry_icon.html |title=PizzaExpress founder Peter Boizot an Industry Icon |publisher=Peach Report |date=19 November 2010 |access-date=28 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405032700/http://www.peach-report.com/Latest/686503/pizzaexpress_founder_peter_boizot_an_industry_icon.html |archive-date=5 April 2015 }}</ref>

PizzaExpress expanded into [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] in 1995 and currently operates 14 restaurants there under the brand name Milano.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milano.ie/about-us |title=About Milano |publisher=Milano.ie |access-date=28 January 2015 |archive-date=24 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124041419/http://www.milano.ie/about%2Dus/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, the company owns the brand name Marzano. Originally, Marzano or Pizza Marzano was used in countries where the brand name Pizza Express was not available, as with the use of the name Milano in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], but it also exists in some territories, such as Cyprus, to differentiate between the restaurants selling primarily pizza and those offering a wider range of non-pizza meals inspired by Italian cuisine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pizzaexpress.com.cy/about-us-marazano |title=About Us |publisher=Pizzaexpress |access-date=28 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222013816/http://www.pizzaexpress.com.cy/about-us-marazano |archive-date=22 February 2015 }}</ref> It is also used for a cafe-bar run as an adjunct to the branch of Pizza Express in [[The Forum, Norwich|The Forum]] in Norwich, Cafe Bar Marzano.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theforumnorwich.co.uk/eat-drink |title=Eat/Drink |publisher=The Forum |access-date=26 December 2015 |archive-date=5 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105065011/http://www.theforumnorwich.co.uk/eat-drink |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2011, PizzaExpress launched a major rebrand of its UK restaurants, with menu changes, a black and white logo and the widespread use of stripes, both for staff uniforms and for restaurant decor.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chapman |first=Matthew |url=http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/1089707/PizzaExpress-launches-biggest-rebrand-date/ |title=PizzaExpress launches biggest rebrand to date |publisher=Marketing Magazine |access-date=28 January 2015 |archive-date=20 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120190929/http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/1089707/PizzaExpress-launches-biggest-rebrand-date |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2014, the group was sold to the China-based private equity firm [[Hony Capital]] in a deal worth £900 million.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-07-12|title=Pizza Express sold to Chinese firm Hony Capital for £900m|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28279203|access-date=2020-09-03|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112034712/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28279203|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, PizzaExpress launched 'PizzaExpress Live'.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

In October 2019, PizzaExpress hired financial advisors in preparation for its talks with creditors. The chain had been experiencing financial difficulties arising from a downturn in consumer demand for eating out.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-04/pizzaexpress-hires-advisers-ahead-of-debt-talks-with-creditors |title=PizzaExpress Hires Advisers Ahead of Debt Talks With Creditors |first1=Antonio |last1=Vanuzzo |first2=Katie |last2=Linsell |date=4 October 2019 |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008024655/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-04/pizzaexpress-hires-advisers-ahead-of-debt-talks-with-creditors |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2020, all UK restaurants were forced to close indefinitely due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|nationwide lockdown rules]] introduced by the government to limit the spread of [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]]. On 28 May 2020, select London restaurants reopened for delivery services as the government began to lift lockdown restrictions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pizzaexpress.com/covid-19|title=A message from our Managing Director, Zoe Bowley|publisher=PizzaExpress|date=May 2020|access-date=30 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525195726/https://www.pizzaexpress.com/covid-19|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/19/pizza-express-reopen-london-restaurants-delivery-coronavirus-lockdown|title=Pizza Express to reopen 13 London restaurants for delivery|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Sarah|last=Butler|date=19 May 2020|access-date=30 May 2020|archive-date=29 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529183023/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/19/pizza-express-reopen-london-restaurants-delivery-coronavirus-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref> In July, it was announced that "dozens" of the closed restaurants would not be reopening. The restaurant group was reported to have a debt pile of £1.1 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/07/16/pizza-express-close-dozens-restaurants/|title=Pizza Express to close dozens of restaurants|work=The Telegraph|last=Gill|first=Oliver|date=16 July 2020|access-date=16 July 2020|archive-date=17 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717015449/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/07/16/pizza-express-close-dozens-restaurants/|url-status=live}}</ref> The next month, it was announced that the company was set to close around 67 restaurants throughout the UK and also cut 1,100 jobs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53635238|title=Pizza Express may close 67 outlets and cut 1,100 jobs|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=4 August 2020|access-date=4 August 2020|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804105059/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53635238|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2020, the business was taken over by its bondholders under a debt-for-equity swap with previous owner Hony Capital.<ref name="Private Equity News"/> It was confirmed in September that 73 of its restaurants would close permanently, including the chain's first-ever branch in Wardour Street.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2020-09-08 |title=The full list of Pizza Express closures, and why the restaurants are being forced to shut |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/consumer/pizza-express-closures-list-full-restaurants-closing-which-jobs-cva-agreement-635681 |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> In November 2020, the group completed restructuring and its debt was reduced by more than £400 million.<ref name="The Times">{{Cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/allan-leighton-to-be-pizza-express-chairman-after-restructuring-999dtr8h0 |title=Allan Leighton to be Pizza Express chairman after restructuring |website=[[The Times]] |location=London |last1=Walsh |first1=Dominic |access-date=16 December 2020 |archive-date=19 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119201714/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/allan-leighton-to-be-pizza-express-chairman-after-restructuring-999dtr8h0 |url-status=live }}</ref> A further 23 branches were earmarked for closure in January 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PIZZA EXPRESS IS SET TO CLOSE 23 MORE RESTAURANTS IN THE UK |url=https://www.nextproperty.co.uk/blog/07607c87-bff6-4655-87d9-693187da443a |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Next Property |language=en-GB |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621134815/https://www.nextproperty.co.uk/blog/07607c87-bff6-4655-87d9-693187da443a |url-status=live }}</ref>