| For Sale - Pizza Express Putney? If rumours from the property sector can be believed then the Pizza Express sign on the Upper Richmond Rd may not be there for much longer. Following the recent acquisition by private equity owners for £278m, there has been an instruction to property agents to start marketing ten of the restaurants, one of which is in Putney. Pizza Express was founded in the 1960s by Peter Boizot and has since carpeted Britain by expanding nationally with its distinctively branded restaurants. In its heyday in the Nineties, it was opening 30 to 35 restaurants a year. A pioneer of family-friendly, affordable eating in London, the chain was hit by the number of rivals that have sprung up in recent years. In April 2003 it announced a 9.4% fall in third-quarter sales, with the slump in double figures for its restaurants inside the M25. 29th August 2003 |