Meet Jens Hofma, Pizza Hut CEO UK

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 05/07/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 6 min

Meet Jens Hofma, Pizza Hut CEO UK — Photo © pizza-hut-logo.jpg

Pizza Hut is a popular choice for Brits who fancy a delicious doughy treat. But who’s responsible for leading the huge pizza brand to success? Today we meet the Pizza Hut CEO UK, Jens Hofma.

All of us are familiar with Pizza Hut; its famous all-you-can-eat buffets are a hit with families across the UK. But who is the Pizza Hut CEO UK? And what was his entrepreneurial journey that led up to earning the impressive title? Let’s find out.

Who is Jens Hofma, Pizza Hut CEO UK?

Jens Hofma is the Chief Executive Officer of Pizza Hut’s UK division. He has held the post since November 2012, which he took up after spending time in senior roles with KFC Germany and Holland; Nestlé SA; McKinsey & Company; McColl’s Retail Group; and Yum! Brands Inc.

When Hofma became Pizza Hut UK’s CEO, he had been working for Yum! Brands Inc., the fast food brand that owns Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell. Therefore, he was already familiar with Pizza Hut and the problems it was facing when he was brought into the leadership team to help steer the business back into profitability.

telegraph.co.uk

How did Jens Hofma shape the future of the Pizza Hut brand?

Hofma realised that some of the brand’s restaurants weren’t up to standard. However, Hofma managed to help Pizza Hut change direction by shutting down underperforming restaurants, replacing over a third of the restaurant managers and running refresher training courses for other employees.

Hofma takes a very hands-on approach to managing the business, putting in shifts at busy Pizza Hut branches to better understand the issues the business may be facing and to discover any smaller niggles experienced by the front of house staff. Hofma said:

It’s something I can easily do on my way home – pop into a restaurant for three to four hours and go and wait on a number of tables.

He explained why he felt it was important to maintain regular contact with the business’s restaurants:

“It’s very easy when you are running a largish organisation to lose a sense of reality. You are going from meeting to meeting and sometimes you pop into a restaurant and it’s a bit like a celebrity visit and you don’t get a true picture of what it’s like.”

In recent years, Pizza Hut has launched a relatively costly modernisation initiative that has enabled its restaurants to attract even more customers. Hofma’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as they have helped to bring Pizza Hut back into profitability. The statistics demonstrate this; according to the franchise, three million diners enjoy a meal in Pizza Hut outlets every month.

>> Read more:

Who is Artie Starrs, Pizza Hut CEO?

Artie Starrs is the global CEO of Pizza Hut. Before having this role, he served as General Manager and Chief Financial Officer of Pizza Hut U.S.

What is Pizza Hut?

Pizza Hut traces its history back to Wichita, Kansas in the US. It was established in 1958, when brothers Dan and Frank Carney borrowed $600 from their mum to open a pizza restaurant. It wasn’t until 1973, however, that the Pizza Hut brand arrived in the UK, offering Brits a taste of its delicious, American pizzas.

Pizza Hut claims to have been at the forefront of many pizza trends that are now commonplace across the world. For example, it states that it brought ‘deep pan’ pizzas to the UK and invented ‘stuffed crust’ pizzas. These industry firsts have helped Pizza Hut become a household name in the UK, where it has launched more than 700 restaurant and delivery outlets.

Does Pizza Hut franchise in the UK?

Yes. Pizza Hut has more than 60 years of experience in the food and restaurant industries, which makes it a fantastic franchisor to guide business owners that are new to the sector. The company’s franchise model is clearly rated highly by franchisees, as around 75 percent of the 13,000 Pizza Hut outlets currently in operation around the globe are owned and managed by franchisees.

If you’d like to join forces with Pizza Hut, there’s good news. Pizza Hut’s delivery division operates a franchising model and welcomes keen entrepreneurs to help expand the business. It currently runs almost 350 outlets in England, Scotland and Wales, and intends to boost this figure to 700 in the coming years.

Becoming a Pizza Hut Delivery franchisee: You need to be experienced in retail management to be accepted onto this franchise programme. Pizza Hut has currently stopped taking applications, but you can keep checking its website and franchise profile for any updates.
How much you need to invest: The initial investment is between £130,000 and £150,000.
What you get for your investment: In return, you’ll receive day-to-day support from acquisition managers, franchise business managers and business experts. Your royalty fees will contribute to marketing on a national and international scale – so this is one less thing to worry about.

Other franchise opportunities in the pizza industry

Fireaway

Fireaway puts the fast in fast food. This pizza franchise offers its customers authentic, Italian, stone-fired pizza in just three minutes. But just because they’re served in record time doesn’t mean the pizzas compromise on taste or quality. The business launched in 2011 and has since opened 17 stores in the London area. It’s set to open even more too!

Becoming a Fireaway franchisee: Because Fireaway’s current ambition is to drastically increase its UK presence, it isn’t trying to make profits from its franchisees.
How much you need to invest: To become a Fireaway franchisee, you need to make a total investment of £49,000. The expected revenue after two years is an impressive £500,000.
What you get for your investment: Fireaway will sort out marketing and supply the most talented chefs from Italy to make sure that the brand’s high standards are maintained across every franchise location. So, why wait? Head to its client page here to find out more and apply.

>> Read more:

Top 7 fast food franchises
The Original Fast Food: Our Top Three Sandwich Franchises
Do You Want Fries With That? Our Top 4 Burger Franchises
Be part of the future of fast food with a One Delivery franchise
American Burger: How To Start Your Own American Burger Restaurant
The Yummy Truth About Running a Fast Food Franchise

NKD Pizza

NKD Pizza serves up healthy and tasty pizzas made from its signature 10-grain dough. Its business model has proved successful across the globe and it’s now looking for UK franchisees to help continue its impressive growth.

Becoming a NKD Pizza franchisee: If you want to get on board with this pizza delivery franchise, see its Point Franchise profile page.
How much you need to invest: You’ll need to have access to a minimum investment of £180,000 to be accepted onto the franchise programme.
What you get for your investment: You will receive full training, 24/7 support and state-of-the-art marketing tools. Also, you’ll have the opportunity to become a multi-unit operator.