Air travellers and conference goers are the latest customers being targeted by expanding restaurant chain PizzaExpress, which has announced profits up by almost one third.

PizzaExpress, which is on target to open 30 new restaurants for its fifth consecutive reporting year, says it has "high expectations" for outlets planned in Earls Court and Olympia exhibition centres, and Heathrow airport.

The move follows an strategy by the firm, which owns 256 restaurants in the UK Ireland, to expand from its High Street base into shopping centres and multiplex cinemas.

This growth has been helped by the firm's "strong" brand, which has enabled it to receive cut-price letting terms, PizzaExpress said, announcing pre-tax profits up 30% to �19.5m for the last six months of last year.

Regional growth

Outlets opened in towns such as Cirencester, Gosforth and Northampton during the six months reflected the firm's shift away from its roots in the south east of England, the firm said.

But the firm achieved only a "modest profit" on overseas franchising, which has taken the PizzaExpress brand to countries such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, with restaurants in Greece, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the pipeline.

The expanded PizzaExpress menus introduced in July, after years without significant change, have attracted new customers and repeat visits.

Three PizzaExpress restaurants are now achieving sales of more than �2m a year.

Sales at the Cafe Pasta chain rose 18%, achieving profitability for the first time.

In the City, shares in PizzaExpress surged 3.8% in early trade, stood 4p lower at 768.5p in early afternoon dealing.