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Once, Pizza Hut was the favorite for families and friends to enjoy its eat-as-much-as-you-like offering, help-yourself greens station, and self-serve ice-cream.

But not as many patrons are frequenting the chain these days, and it is reducing a significant portion of its UK locations after being acquired following financial trouble for the second occasion this year.

“We used to go Pizza Hut when I was a child,” explains a young adult. “It was like a family thing, you'd go on a Sunday – turn it into an event.” Today, aged 24, she says “it's no longer popular.”

According to a diner in her twenties, some of the very things Pizza Hut has been known and loved for since it launched in the UK in the mid-20th century are now outdated.

“The way they do their all-you-can-eat and their salad station, it feels like they are cheapening on their quality and have lower standards... They're giving away so much food and you're like ‘How can they?’”

Since ingredient expenses have risen sharply, Pizza Hut's unlimited dining format has become increasingly pricey to run. The same goes for its outlets, which are being sliced from a large number to just over 60.

The company, like many others, has also seen its expenses rise. This spring, staffing costs increased due to rises in minimum wages and an higher rate of employer social security payments.

Chris, 36, and Joanne, 29 explain they would often visit at Pizza Hut for a date “occasionally”, but now they get delivery from a rival chain and think Pizza Hut is “very overpriced”.

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

Even though Pizza Hut provides takeaway and deliveries through delivery platforms, it is missing out to big rivals which focus exclusively to this market.

“Another pizza company has taken over the off-premise pizza industry thanks to aggressive marketing and frequent offers that make consumers feel like they're saving money, when in reality the base costs are on the higher side,” says the analyst.

Yet for the couple it is worth it to get their special meal brought to their home.

“We predominantly have meals at home now more than we eat out,” comments Joanne, reflecting recent statistics that show a drop in people visiting casual and fast-food restaurants.

Over the summer, casual and fast-food restaurants saw a six percent decline in diners compared to last summer.

There is also a further alternative to pizza from eateries: the frozen or fresh pizza.

An industry leader, senior partner at a leading firm, explains that not only have grocery stores been offering high-quality oven-ready pizzas for years – some are even promoting home-pizza ovens.

“Evolving preferences are also having an impact in the success of quick-service brands,” comments the expert.

The rising popularity of high protein diets has increased sales at chicken shops, while hitting sales of carb-heavy pizza, he notes.

Because people visit restaurants not as often, they may look for a more high-quality meal, and Pizza Hut's retro theme with comfortable booths and red and white checked plastic table cloths can feel more old-fashioned than luxurious.

The rise of premium pizza outlets” over the last several years, for example new entrants, has “completely altered the consumer view of what excellent pie is,” says the culinary analyst.

“A crisp, airy, digestible pizza with a select ingredients, not the excessively rich, thick and crowded pizzas of the past. That, arguably, is what's resulted in Pizza Hut's struggles,” she states.

“Who would choose to spend nearly eighteen pounds on a tiny, mediocre, unsatisfying pizza from a chain when you can get a beautiful, masterfully-made traditional pie for under a tenner at one of the many authentic Italian pizzerias around the country?

“It's an easy choice.”

Dan Puddle, who operates a pizza van based in a regional area says: “It's not that lost interest in pizza – they just want improved value.”

Dan says his mobile setup can offer high-quality pie at reasonable rates, and that Pizza Hut had difficulty because it failed to adapt with new customer habits.

From the perspective of Pizzarova in a UK location, the founder says the industry is broadening but Pizza Hut has neglected to introduce anything innovative.

“There are now by-the-slice options, London pizza, thin crust, fermented dough, Neapolitan, deep-dish – it's a delightful challenge for a pie fan to try.”

He says Pizza Hut “must rebrand” as the youth don't have any fond memories or allegiance to the chain.

Over time, Pizza Hut's customer base has been divided and distributed to its more modern, agile alternatives. To keep up its high labor and location costs, it would have to raise prices – which experts say is challenging at a time when family finances are shrinking.

The leadership of Pizza Hut's international markets said the buyout aimed “to ensure our dining experience and protect jobs where possible”.

He said its first focus was to maintain service at the remaining 64 restaurants and off-premise points and to assist staff through the restructure.

However with so much money going into running its restaurants, it probably cannot to allocate significant resources in its delivery service because the industry is “complicated and using existing external services comes at a expense”, analysts say.

Still, experts suggest, lowering overhead by withdrawing from oversaturated towns and city centres could be a effective strategy to evolve.