Fast food giant Pizza Hut has flagged it is set to return to Ballina.

A sign has appeared in the shopfront of the former Mega Pizza premises at Ballina Central Shopping Centre, setting tongues wagging among excited locals.

“Ballina we have missed you. Coming soon,” the sign reads.

The company has also begun recruiting staff ahead of the new store’s opening, indicating preparations are well underway.

Pizza Hut is believed to have closed its last Ballina outlet in the early 2000s as the company restructured its Australian operations amid increasing competition from rival pizza chains and changing consumer tastes.

For many locals, the return of Pizza Hut will revive memories of the brand’s heyday during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, when its distinctive red-roof restaurants and all-you-can-eat buffets became a favourite destination for family dinners, birthday parties and celebrations.

In recent years, Pizza Hut has shifted its focus towards takeaway and home delivery, mirroring broader changes across the fast-food industry.

The nearest Pizza Hut stores currently operating in and around the Northern Rivers are at Kyogle, Yamba and Grafton.

Photo: A sign announcing Pizza Hut’s return has appeared at the former Mega Pizza shopfront in Ballina Central Shopping Centre.