The last stand-alone pizza hut restaurant in New Zealand, located in New Lynn, is closing its doors as the chain focuses on takeaways instead of dine-in.

The last of New Zealand's Pizza Hut restaurants is booming with dine-in customers keen for one last binge on all you can eat pizza.

The Auckland restaurant will be demolished in March and move to a takeaway and delivery store on the exterior of LynnMall.

Store manager Chandra Goud said he had been inundated with calls from customers wanting to know when they could dine-in at the New Lynn restaurant.

GEOFF DALE/FAIRFAX NZ Pizza Hut has been slowly moving to a takeaway and delivery store since 1998.

"Last night it was busier than usual and we expect it to be very busy over the weekend," Goud said.

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He said they had experienced a 10 per cent increase in dine-in customers since the store's plans were announced.

"We used to have a 20 per cent to 80 per cent split in dine-in customers compared to takeaway customers but now I would say it is 30 per cent dine-in to 70 per cent takeaway."

He said he would call on staff in other stores to help him out with the surge until the store closes down.

The store was the first Pizza Hut to open in New Zealand and will close after 41 years.

Since 1998 the pizza chain has been moving towards becoming a takeaway and delivery service as they attempt to compete in the current market.

The New Lynn store opened in September 1974 and was the first to open in New Zealand.

A spokeswoman from Restaurant Brands, which has owned and operated the business after taking over from Pepsico in 1997, said the pizza industry has become extremely competitive.

"We made a decision in 1998 to rationalise our dine in restaurant business and start investing in takeaway and delivery style stores, which was aligned to the trends we were seeing amongst our customers."

"We see this as an evolution of Pizza Hut within a changing market. While we continue serving Pizza Hut's great tasting pizza as we did back in 1974, we also offer new and innovative pizza flavours to our customers, and in a way that's convenient for them."

The store will be demolished to make way for 80 extra carparks for LynnMall shoppers.

The shopping mall lost about 110 carparks as part of last year's redevelopment.

The $39 million makeover brought cinemas back to New Lynn after a 14-year absence and an alfresco dining lane called The Brickworks which boasts seven mid range eateries.