Pizza Express will launch a dedicated delivery brand selling chicken wings and macaroni cheese next month, marking a significant departure from its classic pizza menu as it seeks growth in Britain’s booming chicken restaurant market.
The chain, a staple of the UK high street for decades, confirmed the new “Mac & Wings” concept will become available in over 300 locations nationwide from March 3. Initially, it will be sold exclusively through Deliveroo.
A Competitive Market for Chicken
The move capitalises on intense customer demand and a rapidly expanding sector. The UK’s chicken restaurant market is growing robustly, with a 6% rise in store openings in 2024, far outstripping the broader fast-food industry. It has become fiercely competitive, with US brands like Wingstop, Popeyes and Raising Cane’s launching UK sites and rival Domino’s having recently introduced its own “Chick ‘N’ Dip” concept.
Paula MacKenzie, chief executive of Pizza Express, acknowledged the “competitive context” but told the Press Association the business believed it could do “something exciting and different”. She said the company had been “working on the concept for a number of months” after recognising a “huge appetite” for chicken from its customers.
Financial Ambition Amid Challenges
This foray into a new category comes as Pizza Express pursues ambitious growth plans despite facing some financial headwinds. The company reported group revenue of £442.1 million for the year to December 29, 2024, down from £454.6 million the previous year. Like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland fell by 2.7%, following an 8.3% rise in 2023.
To strengthen its position, the group completed a significant debt refinancing in April 2025, extending its debt maturities to September 2029. Its strategic goals include expanding its global footprint to 1,000 restaurants worldwide by 2030, with an entry into the US market planned for 2025 with a first location in Florida.
Ms MacKenzie, who became CEO in May 2022 and previously served as managing director of KFC UK & Ireland, has emphasised that while “Mac & Wings” will be made by Pizza Express chefs in the chain’s existing kitchens, it is important the new brand “does feel like it has its own identity”.
The “Mac & Wings” Offering
The brand will offer a key point of differentiation: its chicken wings will be baked, not fried, unlike most competitors. While fried wings are often prized for crispiness, baked versions can achieve a similar texture and are generally viewed as a healthier option due to lower oil absorption.
The menu will include a selection of these baked wings, in flavours such as hot honey, alongside buttermilk chicken tenders. They will be served with a choice of dips including spicy tomato & chilli, garlic butter and a signature “pizzanaise”.
The launch is initially delivery-only, capitalising on what Ms MacKenzie described as strong demand for takeaway chicken on third-party platforms. The company has a long-standing relationship with Deliveroo, having renewed an exclusive partnership for two years in March 2021, though it ended that exclusivity in October 2022 and is now also available on Just Eat and Uber Eats.
Looking ahead, the group said it would “keep an open mind” to potentially expanding the “Mac & Wings” brand into standalone bricks-and-mortar restaurants in the future. The launch reflects the company’s broader strategy to bolster growth while maintaining its core focus on pizza and its historic brand identity, which is strongly associated with music and a distinctive dining experience.
