How we brought Pret to more people

Guy Meakin, Interim Managing Director, Pret A Manger UK and Ireland, outlines how the freshly made food and organic coffee chain transformed its business in the wake of the pandemic

Few UK hospitality businesses will forget March 2020. That month, the entire country entered its first Covid lockdown, and like operators across the industry, Pret A Manger had to temporarily close all its shops.

In April 2020, I visited some of our central London stores and it became clear that the trading environment had changed markedly, with far fewer workers in offices, commuter hubs and city centre locations.