Pizza chain’s high notes

LIVE music in its restaurants helped Pizza Express offset tough trading conditions.

The restaurant firm said like-for-like sales in the UK jumped 1.3pc in the first half of the year thanks to improvements in its restaurants and through its investment in technology.

Group turnover increased 9.1pc to £260.7m from £239m the year before, while international like-for-like sales grew 17.7pc. Earnings, however, fell 13.9pc to £40.6m from £47.2m as a result of cost pressures in the UK.

It launched Pizza Express Live, which lets diners listen to entertainment in restaurants. And new tech helped – including a chatbot that lets diners make bookings using Facebook.