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Pret a Manger plans to expand outside of London and other major city centers as a large number of office workers continue to work from home, with plans to open 100 franchise stores, as well as a hundreds of its own points of sale.
The coffee and sandwich chain has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic as its downtown outlets suffered from the absence of commuters and tourists. But the company said in some regional cities its stores were busier than they had ever been.
The move comes as Pret – who last week reformed his intention to cut staff bonuses after workers threatened to strike – has come under severe financial pressure during the pandemic. The company has abandoned its payment of dividends to shareholders and in April warned of “significant uncertainties” about the possibility of continuing to operate.
The company said it was in talks with possible franchise partners, which could expand its reach outside of London and other major cities in the UK. It is preparing to open around 100 franchised outlets – restaurants that would be managed by independent operators on its behalf – over the next two to three years.
It also proposes to open around 100 of its own stores over the next three years.
The move follows the launch this year of a partnership with Tesco to test Pret stores at Tesco branches in Kensington in west London, Peterborough and other locations as part of a revamp of its business model after the pandemic.
A spokesperson for Pret said: “In some areas such as regional towns and parts of northern England our stores are busier than ever before.
“We are looking to forge new partnerships with franchise partners to bring Pret to more people in cities and travel hubs across the UK, and we are also looking where we can open more stores that we run directly. “
Pret workers, the vast majority of whom earn a legal minimum base wage of £ 8.91 an hour, had threatened to cut back on tools amid proposed pay cuts. On Thursday, after the planned changes sparked an uproar on social media, the company said a service bonus linked to performance judged by a mystery shopper would be reset to £ 1 an hour. However, the channel has not reversed its decision to stop paying for break times.
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