# Pret a Manger
**Pret a Manger** (French for "ready to eat", a play on *prêt à porter*, ready-to-wear) is a British chain of sandwich and coffee shops, founded in London in 1986 by [Julian Metcalfe](https://www.edgepedia.org/julian-metcalfe) and [Sinclair Beecham](https://www.edgepedia.org/sinclair-beecham), that prepares food in its own shop kitchens for same-day sale and donates what is unsold at the end of each day.[1](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG185298) • [2](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/pret-a-manger) In 2024 the group recorded worldwide system sales of £1.2 billion across 717 shops in 20 markets, with 57% of shops equity-owned and 43% franchise-owned.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) • [4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | London, 1986, by Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham, who met studying property law at the Polytechnic of Central London[1](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG185298) |
| Scale (2024) | 717 shops in 20 markets; system sales £1.2bn, up 10% on 2023; like-for-like sales +2.8%[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) • [4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf) |
| Ownership split | 57% of shops equity-owned, 43% franchise-owned (2024)[4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf) |
| Food model | Made in shop kitchens throughout the day; unsold food donated to food rescue partners at the end of every day[5](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret) |
| Club Pret (UK) | £5 a month for 50% off up to five barista-prepared drinks a day[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) |
| Profitability (2024) | Pre-IFRS16 adjusted EBITDA £98m, up 36% from £72m in 2023[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) |
| Charity | The Pret Foundation, set up by the founders in 1995, works on homelessness, hunger, and food donation[5](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret) |
## History
Friends Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe, who first crossed paths as property law students at the Polytechnic of Central London (today the [University of Westminster](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-westminster)), started the business in London in 1986.[1](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG185298) The name means "ready to eat", a reference to the French *prêt à porter* (ready-to-wear), and from January 2007 some stores were rebranded to simply "Pret".[1](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG185298) [London Business School](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-business-school)'s multi-part teaching case describes Pret as one of the first up-market sandwich bar chains in London, tracing its national and international growth and its subsequent sale.[6](https://publishing.london.edu/cases/pret-a-manger-a/)
**McDonald's stake.** In 2001 [McDonald's](https://www.edgepedia.org/mcdonalds) bought a 33% non-controlling stake in the USA branch of the company, and Pret then expanded to New York (10 stores) and Hong Kong (10 stores).[1](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG185298) The historical record also shows a company that refused to franchise, with 85% of its trade in London, where around three-quarters of its stores were located.[1](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG185298)
**JAB control.** JAB's acquisition of control in 2018 is the ownership event Pret's own accounts reference: the 2024 results include a non-cash goodwill impairment of £552.9 million related to that acquisition of control.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) Pret's 2024 results release said the US business was led by Felipe Athayde and the board was chaired by José Cil.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024)
## Business model and operations
Pret's stated mission since the first shop is "to serve freshly made food and good organic coffee"; its coffee is always organic and 100% arabica.[5](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret) The operating model follows from that promise: food is made in the shop kitchens throughout the day rather than delivered finished from a central factory, and unsold food is donated to food rescue partners at the end of every day.[5](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret) The same-day cycle runs from kitchen preparation to shelf to donation.[5](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret)
**Franchising.** The historical refusal to franchise has been reversed. In 2024, 43% of the 717 shops were franchise-owned and 57% equity-owned.[4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf) [Franchising](https://www.edgepedia.org/franchising) is concentrated in markets away from the UK core: 17 Pret shops sit in countries the company classifies as high risk for modern slavery, with 7 in the [United Arab Emirates](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-arab-emirates), 8 in Kuwait and 2 in Saudi Arabia, all operated by franchise partners.[4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf)
## Shops and geographic footprint
Pret reached 717 shops globally in 2024, an 11% net shop growth on the year.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) The group organizes itself into four core markets: UK and Ireland, North America, Europe, and AMEA (Asia, Middle East and Africa).[4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf) Throughout 2024 the brand expanded into two new markets, Portugal and Saudi Arabia, with South Africa planned for 2025.[4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf)
**London density.** Pret remains overwhelmingly a London business. As of April 2025 it had 274 branches in London, far more than in any other UK city: Manchester has 14, [Birmingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/birmingham) 10, Edinburgh 9, and a handful of cities including Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol, and Oxford have six each.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/03/we-introduced-avocado-to-the-high-street-how-pret-conquered-london-and-began-eyeing-the-rest-of-the-world) The contrast with Greggs is sharp: Greggs has just 42 branches in London and many more in northern England and Scotland.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/03/we-introduced-avocado-to-the-high-street-how-pret-conquered-london-and-began-eyeing-the-rest-of-the-world)
The company's own figures on market count differ slightly between documents: the 2024 results release says 21 international markets with 12,500 team members, while the Modern Slavery Statement for the same year says 20 markets with more than 11,000 employees globally.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) • [4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf)
## Menu, pricing and products
Pret's single bestseller is the latte at £3.80, and its top-selling foods are all baguettes: chicken caesar bacon, tuna mayo and cucumber, and cheddar and pickle.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/03/we-introduced-avocado-to-the-high-street-how-pret-conquered-london-and-began-eyeing-the-rest-of-the-world) After criticism over rising prices, Pret cut some prices in 2024: the cheese and pickle baguette fell from £4.99 to £3.99, and filter coffee costs 99p.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/03/we-introduced-avocado-to-the-high-street-how-pret-conquered-london-and-began-eyeing-the-rest-of-the-world)
**Location-based pricing.** Prices vary by shop location: a £3.99 tuna baguette costs £4.50 in a "transport hub", which Pret attributes to higher rents and labor costs at those shops.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/03/we-introduced-avocado-to-the-high-street-how-pret-conquered-london-and-began-eyeing-the-rest-of-the-world) New meal deal formats were to be tested in Q4 2025 to provide value-driven options for UK customers.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024)
## Club Pret subscription
In the UK, Club Pret offers 50% off up to five barista-prepared drinks each day for £5 a month.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) The company says the subscription has continued to attract its most loyal coffee customers while also enabling the business to absorb around £25 million of inflation in labor, food, and operational costs.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) The US version is structured differently: a first month free, up to five barista-made drinks a day (including organic coffees, teas, lattes, hot chocolates, and matchas), and 20% off the entire Pret menu.[8](https://www.pret.com/en-US)
## By the numbers
The 2024 results, for the year ended 2 January 2025, give the clearest quantitative picture of the business:[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024)
- Worldwide system sales across company-owned and franchise shops: £1.2bn, up 10% from £1.1bn in 2023.
- Like-for-like sales growth: 2.8%.
- Pre-IFRS16 adjusted EBITDA: £98m, up 36% (2023: £72m).
- Shops: 717 globally, 11% net growth; 57% equity-owned, 43% franchise-owned.[4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf)
- [Workforce](https://www.edgepedia.org/workforce): 12,500 team members per the results release; more than 11,000 employees globally per the Modern Slavery Statement.[3](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024) • [4](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf)
- Non-cash goodwill impairment: £552.9 million, related to JAB's 2018 acquisition of control.
## Allergen information and the Pret Foundation
Pret's Allergen Guide lists all shop products against the 14 declarable allergens, which are also shown on product shelf tickets; in addition, Pret declares Pine Nuts as an allergen.[9](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB) According to the company, despite its efforts to handle allergens carefully, shared equipment creates a cross-contact risk, so it makes no promise that its food or its barista-made beverages will be free of allergens or safe for people with allergies.[9](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB) It also cautions that vegan food is made to a vegan recipe but is not suitable for those with milk or egg allergies.[9](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB)
**The Pret Foundation.** Set up by the founders in 1995, The Pret Foundation is a global charity whose purpose is to alleviate poverty, hunger, and help break the cycle of homelessness, by donating unsold food in partnership with local food rescue organizations.[5](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret) The company describes the foundation's support as running through food donations, financial grants, training, and employment at Pret.[9](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB) The end-of-day donation practice in the shops is the operational mechanism through which surplus food reaches the charity's partners.[5](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret)
## References
1. [Pret a Manger, British Museum collection term record](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG185298)
2. [Pret a Manger, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/pret-a-manger)
3. [Pret sales increase by 10% to £1.2bn in 2024, Pret A Manger press release](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/pr-pret-sales-increase-in-2024)
4. [Pret A Manger (Europe) Limited Modern Slavery Statement 2024](https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zu8gvmtwqss/k9yiiDJ5SCuIv0bcXADsW/dcdc54cf21af04d4f57b6a06a06ab941/Pret_A_Manger__Europe__Limited_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024.pdf)
5. [About Pret, Pret A Manger](https://www.pret.com/en-US/about-pret)
6. [Pret A Manger (A–D) teaching case, London Business School](https://publishing.london.edu/cases/pret-a-manger-a/)
7. ['We introduced avocado to the high street!' How Pret conquered London, The Guardian (3 April 2025)](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/03/we-introduced-avocado-to-the-high-street-how-pret-conquered-london-and-began-eyeing-the-rest-of-the-world)
8. [Pret A Manger US homepage, Club Pret offer](https://www.pret.com/en-US)
9. [Pret A Manger UK homepage, allergen and foundation information](https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Restaurants, chefs, and culinary practice › Restaurant chains and fast food › Pizza, sandwich, and submarine chains*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license