Pret a Manger

I almost never have a "proper" meal whenever I am in London. I mean, there isn't time to sit down at a one of those restaurants where a waiter comes to your table to take your order. It's so much easier to just grab something on the go, or go to one of the many fast food chains. 

One of my favorite is Pret a Manger. As a vegan/vegetarian, I always have lots of great options, it's fast, often organic, and tastes great. Often, I've tried not to go inte one of their restaurant, try someplace else, but end up in going there anyway, because it's just so good and convenient. 

This is what Wikipedia says about Pret a Manger: 

Pret A Manger is an international sandwich shop chain based in the United Kingdom, commonly referred to simply as "Pret".

Jeffrey Hyman founded the first Pret a Manger in London on the 21st of October 1983. The first Pret A Manger shop opened in Hampstead, London, in 1984. The name Prêt à Manger (French pronunciation: ​[pʁɛt‿a mɑ̃ʒe], ready to eat) was based on prêt-à-porter, French for "ready-to-wear" clothing.

This original Pret A Manger was located opposite Hampstead Underground station, had its own kitchen, and offered ready-to-eat freshly made natural food, filled baguettes, Croque-monsieur and other ready-to-go convenience foods.

Opening in June 1983, the company traded at 58 Hampstead High Street for eighteen months at which time takings had dropped to below break-even point and the company went into liquidation. It was sold by company liquidator David Rubin to college friends Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe.

Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham started a new operation, but using the Pret A Manger name and brand purchased from the former companies liquidator. They opened their first shop of the new Pret A Manger in July 1986, located at 75b Victoria Street in London. Beecham and Metcalfe had met while st udying at University.

The pair pioneered the chain's menu of handmade natural food, freshly prepared in shop kitchens, and they are still significant shareholders in the company.The iconic logo was created by Adrian Kilby, founder of The Formation Creative Consultants Europe Ltd in the 1990s.

In 1995 Metcalfe and Beecham set up the Pret Foundation Trust with the aim to alleviate poverty in the UK.The Trust receives donations from the sale of products and collection boxes in shops. The donations fund Pret's "Charity Run" vans which deliver unsold food to homeless shelters at the end of each day.

The first shop outside of London was opened on Broad Street, New York in 2000. In 2016 there were 74 Pret shops in the United States.

In 2001, McDonald's bought a 33% non-controlling stake in the company, which they sold in 2008 to private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital, owners of clothing retailer Fat Face.

The company opened its first shop in France in 2012, and had a total of 19 shops in France in 2016.

In 2016, its group sales were £776 million.

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