What does collapse of Pizza Hut mean for other chains?

The restaurant giant, which once opened a new branch every week, has now collapsed into administration - and Salt Bae is failing, says James Moore, who points to a 'structural' decline

- James Moore

Time was when the red Pizza Hut was a familiar sight on every high street in the country. With its unpretentious, American diner vibe, it became a household name by offering somewhere hearty where families could eat out, tuck into large-pan pizzas with stuffed crusts, make endless trips to the salad bar and ice-cream station, and fill their trays at the all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffets.

In its heyday, when fast-food dining was booming in Britain, the chain opened an average of one restaurant per week. Its lighthearted prime-time TV ads were fronted by sporting heroes Gareth Southgate (after he missed his crucial Euro 96 penalty), Formula One's Damon Hill and commentator Murray Walker, and as a sign of the spirit of the age - Mikhail Gorbachev.

That time was the mid-Nineties. Now, its UK operations have collapsed into administration, with 68 restaurants set to shut their doors. And it's not just devotees of the Hawaiian Sizzler that should be worried.

When such a stalwart succumbs to financial pressures, it's more than one company's misfortune. The troubles at Pizza Hut shine a light on the precarious state of Britain's mid-market dining sector. If Pizza Hut is struggling, what does that mean for the other casual, affordable restaurants that once formed the backbone of our eating-out culture?