The company will attempt to find redeployment opportunities for staff members who will be affected by the closures
Popular pizza chain Papa Johns has confirmed it will close 43 stores which it has deemed “underperforming”.
The closures follow a review which revealed which locations “no longer financially viable”.
The restaurants affected will shut down by mid-May following a consultation process, Papa Johns International said.
It has not yet been confirmed how many staff will be impacted by closures.
By closing down underperforming stores, the group are aiming to free up money for investment and improving profitability at its remaining UK sites.
The restaurants will close by mid-May following a consultation process.
Chris Phylactou, managing director at Papa Johns UK, said: “Our priority is our team members, who will be fully supported throughout this process.
“Our goal is to work with impacted team members and attempt to find redeployment opportunities where available.
“We understand the impact this will have on our team members and are committed to supporting them during this time.”
The company plans to increase investment in research and technology, such as better utilising customer data, as part of its UK strategy.
The group planned these “strategic closures” in order to free up money for their strategy.
It also said it will look at the development of new types of sites beyond traditional restaurants.
They have plans to expand Papa John UK to include holiday parks, and they are set to “announce other large retail partners in the coming months”.
Mr Phylactou added: “While this is a difficult decision, closing these underperforming locations will give us the opportunity to invest back into the right locations with the right partners for long-term growth.
“We are focused on driving shared profitable growth across our UK restaurants, by continuing to make improvements to our business to ensure that we are well positioned for the future.
“We have been encouraged by the results so far from these initiatives.”