PizzaExpress is a restaurant group with over 470 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 100 overseas in Europe, Hong Kong, China, India and the Middle East. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot. In July 2014 the group was sold to the China-based private equity firm Hony Capital in a deal worth £900 million ($1.54 billion). PizzaExpress celebrated its 50th birthday in 2015.
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History
Founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot, PizzaExpress opened its first restaurant in London's Wardour Street. Inspired by a trip to Italy, Boizot brought back to London a pizza oven from Naples and a chef from Sicily.
In 1969 jazz performances began at its Dean Street restaurant, London.
PizzaExpress expanded into the Republic of Ireland in 1995 and currently operates 14 restaurants there under the brand name Milano. The company also owns the brand name Marzano. Originally Marzano was used in countries where the brand name Pizza Express was not available, as with the use of the name Milano in the Republic of Ireland, but it also exists in some territories, such as Cyprus, to differentiate between the restaurants selling primarily pizza and those offering a wider range of non-pizza meals inspired by Italy. It is also used for a cafe-bar run as an adjunct to the branch of Pizza Express in The Forum in Norwich, "Cafe Bar Marzano".
In 2011, PizzaExpress launched a major rebrand of its UK restaurants, with menu changes, a black and white logo and the widespread use of stripes, both for staff uniforms and for restaurant decor.
In 2017, PizzaExpress launched 'PizzaExpress Live'. Hosted at venues across the UK, PizzaExpress Live offers a broad range of entertainment for guests from comedy, to 'An Audience With' top celebrities and influential figures within various fields.
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Ownership
PizzaExpress was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1993 with franchises opening across the UK. UK franchises were then bought back en masse in 1996. TDR Capital and Capricorn Associates then bought the company in 2003 turning it private again. In 2005, PizzaExpress floated on the London Stock Exchange, as part of the Gondola Holdings PLC. It was then bought by private equity group Cinven as the Gondola Group in 2007. On 12 July 2014 it was announced that Chinese group Hony Capital had bought PizzaExpress for £900m.
Fare
PizzaExpress specialises in handmade pizza. PizzaExpress introduced the lighter pizza Leggera, the first pizza range on the high street that contains around 500 calories.
In 2008, PizzaExpress started a Guest Chef Series with chef Theo Randall, of Theo Randall at InterContinental London, creating exclusive dishes for its menu. Francesco Mazzei, of L'Anima, came on board in 2010 to develop a menu inspired by the cuisine of Calabria.
The celebrity chef series continued in 2012 with the introduction of two pizzas made by television cook Valentine Warner. Warner introduced the fennel and salami pizza and the Puttanesca pizza.
Music
PizzaExpress has supported the jazz community from its early days when it opened its first jazz club in 1969 in Dean Street, London. Since then an array of artists have played from Ella Fitzgerald and Amy Winehouse, to supporting early performances by Norah Jones and Jamie Cullum.
In 2017, PizzaExpress launched 'PizzaExpress Live'. Hosted at venues across the UK, PizzaExpress Live offers a broad range of entertainment for guests from comedy, to 'An Audience With' top celebrities and influential figures within various fields.
The restaurant giant also expanded its music offering, now ranging from arty Americana acts, to lively funk and salsa collectives.
Design and art
Peter Boizot teamed up with Italian restaurant designer and cartoonist Enzo Apicella in the 1960s to design the PizzaExpress identity and over 80 restaurants.
In 2002, PizzaExpress launched PizzaExpress Prospects Contemporary Art Prize with pop artist Peter Blake. Peter Blake's connection with PizzaExpress was extended when he donated 26 original pieces to the Chiswick restaurant.
PizzaExpress created a 'Living Lab' in October 2010, in Richmond, trialling new ideas from design to sound, collaborating with designer Ab Rogers.
Philanthropy
PizzaExpress introduced the Pizza Veneziana in 1977 to help save Venice from sinking by donating 5p of every pizza sold to the Venice in Peril Fund. Over the years the amount donated from each pizza has increased to 25p. From 2008, donations from the Veneziana pizza go to the Veneziana Fund, where 50% is donated to the Venice in Peril Fund and 50% is given to the restoration, repair and maintenance of buildings, fixtures and fittings of buildings and works of art created before 1750.
In 1999, PizzaExpress introduced its Schools Programme, a programme where the company turns its restaurants into classrooms, educating children about fresh ingredients, how to run a local business and how to cook for themselves.
In 2016, PizzaExpress launched its partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, with a discretionary 25p donation from every Padana pizza sold to help Macmillan provide essential financial, emotional, medical and practical support for people affected by cancer. As of May 2017, the partnership has raised over £500,000.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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