Papa John's to close 50 ‘underperforming’ restaurants in the UK

The US-based company, with 450 locations in the UK, said the move comes as part of efforts to bolster its performance in the country.

A spokesperson for the group said: “As our second largest global market, Papa Johns remains committed to driving growth in the UK.

“As mentioned in January, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of our UK-based restaurants to assess viability.

“Based on our current analysis, we are planning to close approximately 50 underperforming corporate-owned locations.

“The strategic closure of these restaurants would give us the opportunity to invest back into the right locations with the right partners; optimising the brand for long-term growth.”

The group reported record global sales for the final three months of last year, hitting more than 1.3 billion US dollars (£1billion) during the quarter.

This was a tenth higher than the previous year.

However, chief executive Rob Lynch said the firm was taking action to improve profitability in the UK and strengthen its franchisee base, as sales have begun to grow.

The chain said staff would be “the first to know” the takeaways that are closing, as it starts consulting on affected locations.

The spokesperson added: “For any proposed restaurant closures that impact team members, we will work to find alternative roles within Papa Johns.”

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In January this year, Papa John's announced the closure of eight restaurants with immediate effect.

The chain said the restaurants would stay shut until new ownership was found, according to The Sun.

The affected sites were:

• Nantwich Road, Crewe
• Macclesfield, Cheshire
• Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
• Cannock
• Halesowen
• Wednesfield
• Newcastle Road, Sunderland
• Kidderminster

The restaurant chain told the publication: "Papa Johns prides itself on providing quality ingredients and a better customer experience across all its locations throughout the UK.

"We are committed to delivering consistency to our fans, and it’s what they have come to expect.

"Unfortunately, not all of our restaurants are meeting our expectations, which is why we’ve made the tough decision to temporarily close our stores in the Northwest and Midlands until we find new ownership.

"We are very grateful to all our team members and look forward to seeing our loyal customers again soon."