Pizza Express customers earn £11m of free dough balls

In its 59-year history, Pizza Express has made millions selling the humble dough ball. But the chain is now putting dough back into the pockets of customers, who are sitting on credit equivalent to £11 million worth of the glutenous treat.
Pizza Express launched its loyalty programme just two years ago and already boasts 2.7 million members — meaning that, every minute, more than two people join the scheme. Free dough balls are the reward just for signing up. From there, customers work through bronze, silver and gold tiers by collecting stamps every time they visit to eat.
Gold membership rewards include free dough balls and soft drinks on every visit, free kids’ meals between Monday and Thursday, and even a free cookbook.
Accounts filed by Pizza Express’s Jersey-domiciled parent revealed that customers were sitting on £11.3 million worth of loyalty benefits.
This came as the company sank to a £7.9 million pre-tax loss in 2023, compared with a £6.8 million profit the year before. The losses were largely a result of footing a £38 million annual interest bill on £335 million of loans that will have to be repaid in July 2026.
Directors of the chain, chaired by the former Asda boss Allan Leighton, picked out a poor performance in Hong Kong, where Pizza Express operates 18 of its 352 restaurants globally.
“Post-pandemic restrictions were eased and the borders reopened in February 2023. As a result, Hong Kong has experienced a significant net outflow of people,” they said in the company’s market commentary.
Hot on the heels of Greggs opening its first airport outlet at Gatwick, Pizza Express followed suit in May and has designs on further openings, with a “strategic ambition to enter airport and travel hubs”.