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They know how to charge 😯
It's all about the offers. Two for one and all that.
[url= http://www.pizzaexpress.com/latest-offers/ ]You paid full price?
[/url]
Amateurs.
You went to Pizza Express?
Amateurs.
Nah went with tesco vouchers. Daughter wanted to go for birthday dinner there. Thank Christ the wife had sorted the vouchers! First visit for us as laddo is a right fussy sod. Did try and use another voucher but terms and conditions said no!
The service is bloody awful IME. Stay well away.
Nah went with tesco vouchers. Daughter wanted to go for birthday dinner there. Thank Christ the wife had sorted the vouchers! First visit for us as laddo is a right fussy sod. Did try and use another voucher but terms and conditions said no!
So you're grumbling about the fact Pizza Express is expensive, even though you didn't pay full price?
1/4 of the price if you did it with the Clubcard.
I love this place. 😀
You went to Pizza Express?Amateurs.
😐
I'm just noshing on an Asda veggie pizza, hand made I tell you, right in front of my very eyes. It's the size of a spare wheel for an Escaladae. Thrown a bit of bacon on, and bosh/boom/plop, pizza fit for a King*
*I have no kids to entertain.
No Jamie I was making a statement of fact. Their business model is clearly good and they know how to charge 😉
However yes woohoo for the forty quids worth of tesco vouchers that cost ten quid in points. Certainly helped with settling up!
Oh and fwiw the service was excellent, maybe because it was partly done by the guy who looked like the owner/manager?
I'm just noshing on an Asda veggie pizza, hand made I tell you, right in front of my very eyes. It's the size of a spare wheel for an Escaladae.
Handmade as in some spotty oink splattered some tommy sauce + cheese + veggie scraps on a disc-shaped pre-formed slab of uber-gluten?
Thrown a bit of bacon on, and bosh/boom/plop, pizza fit for a King*
It's a known fact in [s]my[/s] the universe that smoked bacon dramatically improves any food stuff. Hell, I think I'd even eat Baco Pops for brekkie, bacon muffins for tea and bacon yogurt for desert!
Have to say I'm a big PE fan, I think their Pizzas are better than anything I've found in Italy.
FF, you're 'aving a laugh, right?
I certain hope he is as even little take away only pizzerias in the back streets of Rome serve far nicer food than Pizza Express.
Pizza Express: the Berni Steak House for the Jamie Oliver generation.
Tawdry cardboard crap.
Unsurprising that people on STW would be all snobby about Pizza Express I suppose. 🙄
I've eaten pizza in Italy and make my own pretty decent ones at home from scratch using a baking stone etc - and I reckon Pizza Express pizzas are excellent.
If you get the codes it's good value too IMO.
It used to be good upto about 10yrs ago. Toppings reduced etc
I recently went into their WHampstead branch and was surprised how tired theyve let the decor become.
Why not stay in and have fun with the kids building your own pizza, fun, easy and the ingredients are inexpensive... own choice of toppings...
Why not stay in and have fun with the kids building your own pizza, fun, easy and the ingredients are inexpensive... own choice of toppings...
Sometimes now and then it's nice to go out. You should try it sometime.
Rickmeister true- no need to ride outside either. Simply ride your turbo.
I recently went into their WHampstead branch and was surprised how tired theyve let the decor become.
Did you complain about it to the PE people or just here? It amazes me how people grouch on here then accept the lower quality they moan about again and again. Fo example, our Nandos - great for the kids - got tired plus we had poor service and Mrs K complained to head office. We had a letter and within 6 weeks the whole place was refurbished and the staff pool had undergone several changes. We were invited back for a meal on the house to experience this and express our comments.
PE is just another franchise. Service is dictated by the staff that work there - if you don't like it, complain locally first and if no joy to head office and hope that PE value thier reputation enough to do something about it.
At the OP - why the surprise - it's a business with a sales model, one which involves attracting you in and then up selling as much as possible.
Indeed, I agree, I only use a turbo trainer a couple of times a year too.. but its always an option...
It used to be good upto about 10yrs ago. Toppings reduced etc
Traditional pizzas don't have much in the way of toppings, normally very sparse. The Pizza Hut / Dominos pile it high with stuff type of Pizza is very different to anything you'd find in Italy.
I just think All the pizzas on their menu taste the same. I went for the first time in years a couple of weeks ago as my daughter wanted to go, but again it all tasted a bit samey. Not sure it's overly expensive, though not cheap for what it is (unfortunately I did pay full price as it was an impulsive visit). The pizzas are priced similarly to any other high street restaurant chain pizzas, but are very average. My wife makes pizzas from scratch and they are better than any pizza I've ever had - even in Italy. Definitely the best meal in her repertoire.
Their Peroni is very reasonable.
Oh no, hang on my mistake...... It's blummin ridiculous!!!
Pizza is nommy mind.
Their Peroni is very reasonable.
Any reason why thier Perpni is different from anyone else's? 🙄
Not sure about Perpni., but aye, a large bottle of Peroni is over six and a half quid last time I went.
PE in Gunwharf Quays wasn't too bad about 10 years ago, haven't been in one since mind but I do remember them doing a fab Salad Nicoise... Hmmm I must go back.
kayak23 - Member
Not sure about Perpni., but aye, a large bottle of Peroni is over six and a half quid last time I went.
mmm Peroni, I have found something nicer than it there and it's the free ones in the place I am now 🙂
As for PE last time I was there we were trying to get a lifetime ban from the entire chain as we were on a Stag do 9hrs in so I have no comment on the Pizza.
I like pizza express for a quick meal out but I resent any buisness model that depends on overcharging the casual customer to subsidize the voucher user.
I was very surprised to find in one that we were expected to wait an hour as they had run out of dough and were getting more shipped in from another restaurant.
I like them and think the prices aren't too bad (when compared to dominos rubbish). I love their huge superfood salad
I was very surprised to find in one that we were expected to wait an hour as they had run out of dough and were getting more shipped in from another restaurant.
To be fair I have never tried to cook pizza without dough but I reckon it wouldn't end well. As for just knocking some up, unless it's rested for 24hrs it's not going to make properly good pizza.
Love pizza express, but we NEVER pay full price, all of tesco clubcard vouchers go there atm we have £37 worth of vouchers to exchange.. thats a lot of pizza! We occasionally get given pizza express vouchers too, currently have £40 to be used! Think I'll have pizza this weekend.
Possible but I can knock up a passable dough in less time than an hour. Any restaurant that runs out of the Principe part of their main dish is a bit questionable.
Yep making dough is the quick bit, resting it takes the time and it really makes it taste better.
I'd also say at the quickest and rushing it I'd want 30 mins to make a decent dough but it's nowhere near good enough to sell to anybody let alone make for my mates!
PE's business model is based on the use of discount vouchering as opposed to marketing budget to advertise. As a result, full price reflects that difference. No problem with that. It's one of the more successful models these days, especially with online vouchering/deals.
The trick then is to get the upsell once they have hooked the customer and drive as much profit through wet sales and add ons.
Fair play to them - the model clearly works well!
🙂
Its gone from just right to a bigger border/sparse.
Ties in nicely with authentic cost cutting
Gachet - Member
I certain hope he is as even little take away only pizzerias in the back streets of Rome serve far nicer food than Pizza Express.
Amateurs!
EVERYONE knows the best Pizzas can only be found in Neapolitan back street trattoria.
The odd time I ended up in a PE, even with vouchers in hand, I end up spending a fortune. 2 large beers at £6 a pop and I've doubled what the food cost in booze expenditure 🙁
Whatever you do don't think "I'll treat myself and go for a Peroni Gran Riserva". I was bloody glad work were paying, I would still be overdrawn if I were.
The service is so variable its almost a lottery. A couple of years ago, the Perth branch was staffed almost exclusively by eastern europeans and the service was fantastic. On the last visit at the end of October it had reverted to being run by North Muirton neds and was 'kin awful.
On recent experience I can recommend the one in Kendal and Southampton Row.
PE's business model is based on the use of discount vouchering as opposed to marketing budget to advertise.
Not sure that's the case, a lot of restaurants are using discount vouchers now just to fill covers as discretionary spending has taken a big hit post 2008. It's hurting the bottom line:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/feb/27/tragus-cafe-rouge-strada-losses-restaurant-vouchers
Is it just me or is it a strange name for the brand? Pizza Express, it sounds like a kebab shop. Also if the dough is made and toppings are ready to go, a pizza takes 10 mins max..... so why is their place called 'express'?
EDIT: Bit of history from Wikipedia:
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.[3] In 1969 jazz performances began at its Dean Street restaurant, London.[4] PizzaExpress was the first to bring pizza to the UK high street in 1965[3] and was the first to sell Peroni beer in the UK.[5]
In 1995, PizzaExpress expanded into Ireland and currently operates 10 restaurants there under the brand name Milano.[6] 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 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
When you're in a strange town on business and need a reliably decent meal PE fits the bill just fine, it won't be memorable but it'll do just fine.
The Pizzas in Italy though, oh my god, even little places that are essentially a stone oven set into a wall with a few plastic chairs next to it seem to churn out the most amazing food, if you think they're no better than PE you've been taken to the wrong places.
It wasn't "express" last night but the 40 mins between entering and getting food was a welcome change which gave iua us time to talk as a family.
I also skipped the peroni as I was driving, but on seeing the price I was glad I was driving.
All in all we enjoyed it and will go back to the same one as the staff were lovely and all the food was eaten.