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The company that operates Pizza Hut restaurants in the UK is seeking to raise over £10 million to help offset rising costs following tax hikes announced in last month's Budget.

The funds could be generated through the sale of a portion of the business or via additional investment from current shareholders.


This move comes amid growing concerns from business owners, who warn that increases in employers' national insurance contributions and the National Living Wage will lead to higher costs, particularly for businesses with large numbers of low-wage employees.




Heart With Smart (HWS), which runs all 140 dine-in Pizza Hut locations across the UK, plans to invest the funds in new technology, including touch-screen ordering kiosks and contactless table ordering systems.



The new features are expected to help restaurants reduce costs by operating with fewer staff and are already being successfully trialed at several Pizza Hut outlets, according to a company insider.

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The insider mentioned that while the introduction of these new features will lead to reduced staff levels, the company does not anticipate a major redundancy programme.



Starting in April 2025, the rate of employers' national insurance contributions—paid by businesses on top of employees' salaries—will increase from 13.8% to 15%. Additionally, the threshold at which contributions begin will be lowered to £5,000.