Pizza Hut has opened its first new store in five years, located in Western Australia, as part of the pizza franchise’s new expansion plans.

The company aims to add five new sites a year to Western Australia’s portfolio, with a national plan to boost numbers from 270 to 500.

Pizza Hut has also invested in its online capabilities, currently accounting for around 40 percent of total sales and growing by 50 percent a year.

According to Pizza Hut general manager, Graeme Houston, the new store opening, in the Perth suburb of Butler, comes at a good time for the franchise, which has experienced 18 consecutive months of profitable sales growth nationally.

“We have created significant momentum from taking a hard look at our value and quality propositions and are confident of further growth and success across Australia,” he said.

He added that the reduced capital investment now required for a new Pizza Hut franchise will help feed growth.