The premium food-to-go and coffee chain’s regional growth strategy has shifted gears with a first-ever drive-thru outlet
Pret A Manger has entered the fast-growing UK drive-thru coffee market in a bid to grow its presence in high-footfall travel hubs and roadside locations.
The JAB Holding-backed food-to-go and coffee chain currently operates 500 UK stores and opened its first drive-thru globally in Warrington, Cheshire, on 5 May 2026.
The outlet, launched in partnership with forecourt operator Motor Fuel Group, features a single drive-thru lane, EV charging and in-store seating for up to 48 customers.
“Travel hubs and roadside locations present a huge growth opportunity for Pret, making the launch of our first drive-thru a natural next step in our expansion. It’s all part of our strategy of meeting customers where they are,” said Ross Warnes, President UK & Ireland, Pret A Manger.
Photos: Pret A Manger
In September 2025, Pret CEO Pano Christou outlined a goal to double the chain’s UK footprint to 1,000 sites by sharpening its focus on transport hubs and roadside locations. The London-based business currently operates 220 stores across UK airports, train stations and motorway service areas.
Drive-thru is the latest development in Pret’s regional growth strategy, which was initiated during the pandemic to diversify the chain’s long-standing focus on London office workers with neighbourhood and family-friendly stores.
It also opens a new competition front with UK coffee shop market leaders Costa Coffee and Starbucks, which have invested heavily in the format in recent years.
World Coffee Portal research shows that the UK drive-thru coffee shop segment grew 6.7% last year to reach 912 sites and now makes up 7.4% of the total UK branded coffee shop market.
In March 2026, Costa reached 400 UK drive-thru sites and announced plans to open 40 new locations by the end of 2026. However, it also warned that the segment is becoming increasingly complex amid planning bottlenecks, rising development costs and heightened competition.
Alongside Starbucks, which operates nearly 400 UK drive-thru outlets, food-focused Greggs and Canadian chain Tim Hortons have also increased their focus on drive-thru in the UK – with the format making up more than 80% of the latter’s UK estate.
Bewiched Coffee, Bayne’s and Caffé Nero have also launched UK drive-thrus in recent years, while specialty robusta chain Black Sheep Coffee is building a pipeline of drive-thru sites in the market after testing the format at three outlets in the US.
