Will Hitchin's Pizza Express be on the list of restaurants to close for good following the chain's announcement on Tuesday morning that they were to shut a raft of stores - or will it reopen later this week as per its website?

The chain announced they were considering closing 15 per cent of their restaurants across the UK, a total amounting to around 67 stores – with around 1,100 roles in jeopardy.

The move comes amid plans to cut its debt from around £735m to a more manageable £319m.

Since its first branch opened in London's Soho, in 1965, the business has been through a number of stock exchange flotations – with the well-known brand bought for £900m in 2014 by Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital.

The business sells more than 500m dough balls a year with American Hot being its favourite pizza with customers, including those in the Hitchin store.

With 460 Pizza Express restaurants across the country in total, concerns have been rising about the future of the Hitchin branch.

However, Pizza Express have underlined that demand from customers had been 'encouraging' among its stores that have reopened - and that it had plans to open the doors of further stores in a programme which was 'well underway'.

The company also explained that the closures were part of a group restructure, which would see the business emerge from lockdown in a stronger position and safeguard the majority of the company's 9,000 employees.

Hitchin Nub News contacted Pizza Express for comment about their Hitchin branch. While tight lipped about future specifics, they did confirm in what could be seen as a big hint: "There are no plans to close the stores that will have re-opened."

In addition, a close look on their website suggests that the store could be opening again once more - with the site saying they will be open from this Thursday, August 6, for 'dine-in, delivery and click and collect.'

All its outlets throughout the United Kingdom had been shut since the government imposed lockdown restrictions, which began on 23 March – with the Hitchin branch remaining closed since that date.

To analyse the data behind the statement, Pizza Express stores began reopening in July, when lockdown rules were eased, leading to a total of 166 restaurants now open, as of Tuesday.

With the high street chain confirming they are set to reopen a further 80 eateries soon – joining its 166 establishments already open, along with the 67 unnamed stores that are due to shut – to make a total of 313, then where does that leave the remainder of stores that number 143?

To put it another way: Hitchin's Pizza Express could close as one of the 67 stores already earmarked to shut.

Or, if we look on the positive side, Pizza Express, Hitchin, could be included in one of the 80 stores set to reopen shortly - if its Hitchin website is anything to go by.

Or, it could be included in the remaining 143 that the chain has yet to make a decision on.

Only one thing is for sure, until the company confirms if the store will open this Thursday, uncertainty will shroud the future of the popular site on the corner of Market Place and Sun Street.

Hitchin Nub News visited the restaurant on Tuesday afternoon to find the doors still firmly shut.

Could the future be bleak for the Hitchin branch, much-loved by parents and grandparents taking their tots, toddlers and teens to the popular restaurant - or is their website correct in stating they will be re-open again later this week?

We'll find out soon.