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At one time, the popular pizza chain was the go-to for groups and loved ones to indulge in its all-you-can-eat buffet, endless salad selection, and self-serve ice-cream.

However not as many customers are visiting the chain nowadays, and it is reducing 50% of its British restaurants after being rescued from insolvency for the second occasion this calendar year.

I remember going Pizza Hut when I was a child,” notes 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in her twenties, some of the very things Pizza Hut has been famous for since it launched in the UK in the 1970s are now outdated.

“The way they do their buffet and their salad station, it appears that they are cheapening on their quality and have inferior offerings... They provide so much food and you're like ‘How can they?’”

Because grocery costs have risen sharply, Pizza Hut's buffet-style service has become quite costly to run. The same goes for its restaurants, which are being reduced from a large number to just over 60.

The chain, in common with competitors, has also seen its operating costs go up. This spring, employee wages jumped due to rises in minimum wages and an higher rate of employer national insurance contributions.

Chris, 36, and Joanne, 29 mention they used to go at Pizza Hut for a date “occasionally”, but now they order in a rival chain and think Pizza Hut is “very overpriced”.

Based on your choices, Pizza Hut and Domino's costs are close, notes an industry analyst.

Even though Pizza Hut provides takeaway and deliveries through delivery platforms, it is losing out to larger chains which focus exclusively to this market.

“The rival chain has succeeded in leading the off-premise pizza industry thanks to intensive advertising and ongoing discounts that make consumers feel like they're getting a bargain, when in reality the standard rates are relatively expensive,” says the expert.

However for the couple it is acceptable to get their date night brought to their home.

“We predominantly have meals at home now instead of we eat out,” explains one of the diners, reflecting latest data that show a drop in people going to informal dining spots.

Over the summer, informal dining venues saw a notable decrease in diners compared to the year before.

There is also one more competitor to restaurant and takeaway pizzas: the cook-at-home oven pizza.

A hospitality expert, senior partner at a major consultancy, notes that not only have grocery stores been selling premium ready-to-bake pizzas for quite a while – some are even offering home-pizza ovens.

“Evolving preferences are also having an impact in the popularity of fast-food chains,” states the expert.

The growing trend of protein-rich eating plans has boosted sales at grilled chicken brands, while reducing sales of high-carbohydrate options, he adds.

Since people dine out more rarely, they may seek out a more premium experience, and Pizza Hut's classic look with vinyl benches and nostalgic table settings can feel more retro than luxurious.

The rise of premium pizza outlets” over the last 10 to 15 years, for example boutique chains, has “fundamentally changed the public's perception of what good pizza is,” notes the food expert.

“A light, fresh, easy-to-digest product with a carefully curated additions, not the excessively rich, thick and crowded pizzas of the past. This, in my view, is what's led to Pizza Hut's downfall,” she comments.

“Why would anyone spend nearly eighteen pounds on a modest, low-quality, underwhelming pizza from a chain when you can get a beautiful, masterfully-made classic pizza for less than ten pounds at one of the many authentic Italian pizzerias around the country?

“It's an easy choice.”

A mobile pizza vendor, who runs a pizza van based in Suffolk explains: “It's not that fallen out of love with pizza – they just want higher quality at a fair price.”

He says his mobile setup can offer gourmet pizza at accessible prices, and that Pizza Hut struggled because it failed to adapt with evolving tastes.

According to Pizzarova in a UK location, the proprietor says the industry is diversifying but Pizza Hut has neglected to introduce anything innovative.

“There are now by-the-slice options, artisanal styles, thin crust, fermented dough, traditional Italian, deep-dish – it's a wonderful array for a pizza-loving consumer to discover.”

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

Over time, Pizza Hut's share has been divided and spread to its trendier, more nimble alternatives. To sustain its costly operations, it would have to charge more – which experts say is tough at a time when personal spending are decreasing.

The managing director of Pizza Hut's international markets said the rescue aimed “to protect our customer service and retain staff where possible”.

The executive stated its first focus was to maintain service at the open outlets and off-premise points and to help employees through the transition.

Yet with so much money going into maintaining its outlets, it may be unable to allocate significant resources in its off-premise division because the market is “difficult and working with existing external services comes at a cost”, commentators say.

But, he adds, reducing expenses by exiting oversaturated towns and city centres could be a smart move to adjust.