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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

The Pizza Hut in Clanton was included in a recent group of Pizza Hut restaurants that were closed across the nation.

“As part of our restructuring process, we made the very difficult decision to close the Clanton, AL Pizza Hut restaurant. We did not take this decision lightly, and we are committed to providing support to impacted employees,” NPC International, Pizza Hut’s largest franchisee in the U.S., said.  “Ultimately, these actions will best position our remaining restaurant business for success. NPC continues to operate many other Pizza Hut restaurants across the country which remain open for business, supported by our 23,000 dedicated employees who are ready to serve our customers.”

The company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has created a restructuring plan.

“As our industry has been in the midst of dynamic changes due to shifting consumer preferences and dining behavior, we also have been facing increased labor and commodities costs and a higher level of financial leverage that presents obstacles to achieving our long-term business objectives,” said Jon Weber, CEO & President of NPC’s Pizza Hut division in a press release. “These challenges have been magnified recently by the impact and uncertainty of COVID-19, and we believe it is necessary to take proactive steps to strengthen our capital structure, so we have the financial flexibility to continue to adapt to current industry trends. We also intend to use this process to continue to evaluate and optimize our restaurant portfolio so that we are best positioned to meet the needs of consumers across the country.”

The Pizza Hut location in Jemison will remain open.