It looks like Pizza Express has lost a slice of the action, with losses at the chain hitting £17 million before the departure of the company's chief executive.

Richard Hodgson resigned from the top job in May, as the restaurant chain announced a second annual drop in UK sales, as reported by the Telegraph . Pizza Express, which has branches in Cirencester, Gloucester and Cheltenham, made a loss of £17m before tax in the 18 months to the end of 2016, compared to a £10m loss in the previous year.

The company has faced a series of financial challenges in recent years, including the fall in the value of the pound post-Brexit, revaluations of business rates, pressure on commercial rents and increases in the National Living Wage.

But maybe we're all just a bit fed-up of posh pizza? Pizza Express has been around a long time and customers now have so much more choice from chains like Wagamama (set to arrive in Cheltenham very soon), Nandos, Bills and Zizzi, as well as independent restaurants.

Punchline says in these savings-savvy times, nobody would consider going to a restaurant without first searching for a money-saving voucher online. Have Pizza Express handed out one discount too many and ended up with Sloppy Guiseppe on their faces?

What do you think? Email mark@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk 

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