January 18, 201312 yr comment_148221 They did have a Pizza Hut, as did Towers... Merlin told them to go away, why they're still at Thorpe, I'm not sure, must be some different contract going on...
January 18, 201312 yr comment_148257 I think the one at the Towers was shut down due to a loophole thanks to their poor Health and Safety Inspection. And I believe it is true they are the highest grossing store. I think their sales record is somewhere along the lines of 110k+ in one week. I believe the only stores that come close to that are the Trafford Center, The Bullring, and Cribbs Causeway + a few others and only they weigh in at around 60k and that's only one peak week at Christmas time. Then strip out the flow through, they don't have to employ as many staff, they have far less smallwares, crockery and dishes, buffet pizzas intentionally use the cheapest toppings available, whereas dine-in store have a far more elaborate and expensive food order. I can't confirm anything about the term of their lease, but I do know if you ask the majority of huts opened in the same period, they will most likely have ridiculously long contracts.
January 18, 201312 yr comment_148276 Towers one's were franchises I believe. The plaque didn't say anything similar. I can't imagine them having a long contract with the parks really. Maybe 10yrs or so. But for a park, they'd never want to sign up to a too long lease, you need options. McDonalds was on a 10yr lease for instance, replaced by BKs on one year leases. Well, excluding thorpe. God knows what thorpe's on.
January 18, 201312 yr comment_148297 The sooner they change it to Pizza Pasta I will start going in, not paying full price in Pizza Hut when I can get MAP discount elsewhere. Plus that Pizza hut is so busy it is not enjoyable, in fact very very stressfull when all you want to do is sit down, relax and have a meal.
January 31, 201312 yr comment_149299 From reading this topic a few pages back, it's clear to see that a lot of people want Pizza Hut to go and be replaced with their own-brand Pizza & Pasta restaurant. I say keep it - Pizza Hut is a well known brand. It's prices may be a little high for some people, I can sympathise with people's opinions there. The Pizza & Pasta resutarants at Alton and Chessington have OK tasting food, but you can certainly tell the difference between the quality and Pizza Hut's. I'm a strong believer in quality, not quantity, so therefore paying a few quid more for something better is worth it.
January 31, 201312 yr comment_149330 Issue I have is that the Pizza Hut pizzas found at thorpe aren't anywhere near the quality of Pizza Huts elsewhere, even if you just think of the buffet. They pretty much use same ingredients and stuff, and so I don't have much of an issue. Both go for quantity rather than quality, yet thorpes are pretty useless at actually having pizza half the time.
February 1, 201312 yr comment_149345 From reading this topic a few pages back, it's clear to see that a lot of people want Pizza Hut to go and be replaced with their own-brand Pizza & Pasta restaurant. I say keep it - Pizza Hut is a well known brand. It's prices may be a little high for some people, I can sympathise with people's opinions there. The Pizza & Pasta resutarants at Alton and Chessington have OK tasting food, but you can certainly tell the difference between the quality and Pizza Hut's. I'm a strong believer in quality, not quantity, so therefore paying a few quid more for something better is worth it. I'm struggling to see how going to an All-you-can-ear buffet fits in with someone who's ethos is quality rather than quantity. I would think that the trade off of any buffet place like this is that you get lots of food even if it is crap.
February 1, 201312 yr comment_149374 It's good quality food and that's what matters - like I've said, I'm prepared to pay a little bit more for quality. What's not to understand about that?!
February 2, 201312 yr comment_149398 You're not paying more for quality though. You're paying more than a normal PH buffet (cos it's in thorpe) for a worse quality than a usual PH buffet. There's practically no difference between merlin outlets and the PH outlets.
February 2, 201312 yr comment_149423 You're not being paranoid by the way, the ingredients are actually different. No other dine in Pizza Hut actually sells Medium Pan/Italian, and that's all the buffet consists of. The Regular/Large pizzas you get in the other stores are made differently.
February 4, 201312 yr comment_149485 You're not paying more for quality though. You're paying more than a normal PH buffet (cos it's in thorpe) for a worse quality than a usual PH buffet. There's practically no difference between merlin outlets and the PH outlets. I challenge this. I can hardly taste the difference between a high street Pizza Hut and Thorpe's one. Price-wise, I'm happy. The difference between Thorpe's Pizza Hut and their own brand restaurants isn't that much. If people here can taste the difference then they must have stronger tastebuds than me! Also, anyone knows where I can get a pizza cutter used in Thorpe's Pizza Hut?! The way the guy chops it up is talented, give him a Samurai sword any day of the week.
February 4, 201312 yr comment_149518 I can't think of much worse than any all you can eat lunch at a theme park. Last thing I want is an uncomfortably full feeling before strapping myself into something fast and twisty and I see a buffet as a value challenge. I did have the Pizza Pasta buffet at AT once and thought it was acceptable at best. Quality eateries, like actual restaurants, are severely lacking throughout Merlin. Kind of understandable when they shut their parks so damn early so are covering lunch times only, but still. That's what I want.
February 4, 201312 yr comment_149520 I think the lack of dead late openings are the reason our eateries aren't particularly 'quality sit down 3 course meal' like (though that is really the high end version of what you want, and with time lacking at parks, few eateries akin to that are common)... At least the buffets can be digested at Chessie/Towers, one of my main issues with Thorpe is that the only option to wait for your food to digest is to go stand in a ride's queue or do bugger all (Which to be fair, is all there is to do at Thorpe anyway)...
February 4, 201312 yr comment_149524 I can't think of much worse than any all you can eat lunch at a theme park. Last thing I want is an uncomfortably full feeling before strapping myself into something fast and twisty and I see a buffet as a value challenge. I have a stomach of steel, I can eat any amount and go on any ride and still feel fine later on. If anything, the parks mage me hungry. All that walking about and waiting is hungry and thirsty work, come rain or shine.
February 5, 201312 yr comment_149605 I challenge this. I can hardly taste the difference between a high street Pizza Hut and Thorpe's one. Price-wise, I'm happy. You've just argued against someone who works for Pizza Hut (above that post). Interesting. If you're happy with thorpes awful PH, why wouldn't you be happy with merlin doing it considerably better?
February 5, 201312 yr comment_149612 I find TP's PH dire, it's either under cooker or overcooked. You can tell the difference because all the ones in the highstreet take time whereas TP they just throw it in a pan throw cheese on whip it in the oven in less than 2 minutes!
February 6, 201312 yr comment_149654 Ricky, they're a self-service restaurant in Thorpe, they're bound to make them quicker!
February 6, 201312 yr comment_149698 I find TP's PH dire, it's either under cooker or overcooked. You can tell the difference because all the ones in the highstreet take time whereas TP they just throw it in a pan throw cheese on whip it in the oven in less than 2 minutes! I must be the only one to disagree reading all the negative comments about Pizza Hut at TP. I always find the pizzas better here than any of the three local Pizza Huts near me. I often visit the buffets in school holidays as I work in a school and often they are dry and lack in toppings. Maybe I have just caught Thorpe Park Pizza Hut on good days, but I think only about 2 out of 20ish visits have be dire in Pizza Hut.
February 6, 201312 yr comment_149711 Last time I went into PH at TP I didn't enjoy at all, felt a bit sick after like 3 slices!
February 6, 201312 yr comment_149737 I won't be returning to TP PH, the Merlin outlets are much better, apart from Battered Fish N Chips which is vile.
February 7, 201312 yr comment_149745 I must be the only one to disagree reading all the negative comments about Pizza Hut at TP. I always find the pizzas better here than any of the three local Pizza Huts.At last, someone who agrees with me, someone with good taste buds.BigBobJones, I so agree with the fish and chips. Awful isn't it!
February 7, 201312 yr comment_149750 The chips from the Fish n Chip shop are vile. The battered sausages are good though! The noodle place is my favourite though
February 7, 201312 yr comment_149758 I've only been to the Pizza Hut Buffet at Thorpe once. To be honest, I couldn't really taste the difference between high street and theme park Pizza Huts. Either way, it's a Pizza My main eatery at Thorpe is the Mexican Cantina Love that place! I thought it was quite expensive, until I saw how much you got in your box!
February 7, 201312 yr comment_149760 I remember a few years back they introduced a Chilli Pot. That was horrible, I'll always remember having one at the Stealth Diner during it's first season. I can't remember if this Chilli Pot is still available. But has anyone been to Mexican Cantina in Alton Towers, near The Flume? It's very good, but all I can say is take that same music track off repeat!
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