Many fan-favourite restaurants have closed in Welwyn Hatfield over the years, we asked our readers which ones they miss the most.

From Pizza Hut to Fatty Arbuckles, the Welwyn Hatfield Times has ranked seven of the best restaurants that you want to see comeback to towns across Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.

1. Pizza Hut

By far the most popular suggestion was Pizza Hut, which used to have restaurants in both Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City.

The Hatfield site in Wellfield Road closed in 2009, and that was quickly followed by the Howardsgate restaurant in 2012, with the popular chain citing "changing business model and changing consumer demand".

Although Pizza Hut has a takeaway in both towns, customers clearly missing the dining experience, with plenty remembering the salad bar fondly.

2. The Bull and The East

The Bull opened in 1938 and remained as a pub until 2005, when the Great North Road pub became Chinese restaurant The East.

The Welwyn Garden City restaurant would remain incredibly popular with diners, with plenty describing at as "the best Chinese food around", until it shut down in 2017.

Two years later, the building would be knocked down to make way for the construction of eight four-bedroom homes.

The building formerly home to The East was pulled down in 2017.The building formerly home to The East was pulled down in 2017. (Image: ©2019 Archant)

3. Deep Pan Pizza Co.

Based in The Galleria, hungry Hatfield punters couldn't get enough of Deep Pan Pizza Co. throughout the 1990s.

Offering 'all you can eat' deals, the chain had 89 restaurants across the UK and consistently posted profits throughout the decade, but it would all come to an end in 1998.

City Centre Restaurants shut down the brand and it disappeared from the High Street, with the owner instead focusing on the increasingly popular Frankie and Benny's and another pizza chain, Caffe Uno.

James Naylor, City Centre's chief executive at the time, said: "The brand was becoming dated. Thin crust pizzas are becoming more popular, with fewer people eating deep pan."

4. Fatty Arbuckles

Another beloved Galleria restaurant was Fatty Arbuckles, with plenty of Welwyn Hatfield residents fondly remembering the American-themed diner chain.

Founded in 1983 and named after silent film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, the chain became one of the most popular UK restaurants in the 1990s.

2000 saw "Fatty" dropped from the name as part of a more health-conscious approach and by 2006, the final restaurants had closed and the chain ceased to operate.

Arbuckles operated a site in The Galleria throughout the 1990s.Arbuckles operated a site in The Galleria throughout the 1990s. (Image: Newsquest)

5. Bill's

Another popular suggestion among our readers was the former Bill's restaurant in Welwyn Garden City.

The chain operated from a unit in Howardsgate but moved out in 2022, being replaced by Burger King.

The closure happened rather abruptly without any announcement, leaving many diners disappointed at the loss of one of their favourite restaurants.

6. Wimpy

Wimpy is one of the best-known names on the casual dining scene. Feeding the nation since 1954, it was renowned for its mouth-watering range of Wimpy burgers.

Although, like many others, the Welwyn Garden City branch closed its doors, there are still restaurants surviving nationwide, including one in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

7. Chiquito

The popular Mexican restaurant chain operated from a unit at The Galleria and saw a much-loved spot for diners.

The site closed permanently in 2020, when owners The Restaurant Group closed 61 of its 80 UK sites due to financial difficulties.

The unit stands empty to this day.