Almost 150 Pizza Hut restaurants are set to close due to an ongoing financial dispute with one of its major franchisees.

Friday night saw the abrupt shuttering of 15 locations in Indiana that left staff and customers stunned. 

DailyMail.com can reveal a further 129 across Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina and Wisconsin are on the brink of shutting as part of the dispute. 

EYM Group - which operates the 144 Pizza Huts across the five states - is being sued by the chain in relation to millions of dollars of unpaid bills.