Pret a Manger float? No IPO appetite from owners Bridgepoint August 9, 2015 Bridgepoint, the private equity owner of Pret a Manger, has poured cold water on a report that it could potentially float the lunchtime favourite of City workers. The sandwich chain already has interest from potential bidders, Reuters reports, and is considering a market listing for 2016, maybe in the US, citing unnamed sources. A Bridgepoint [...]
Hotel Chocolat co-founder Angus Thirlwell on how he built a chocolate empire July 12, 2015 Europe is awash with chocolatiers and the British consumer is spoilt for choice. So the idea that someone could set up a chocolate company with £10,000 and take it from startup to a market-conquering beast in just a decade seems a little far fetched. But that is what Angus Thirlwell and his business partner Peter [...]
Pret-a-Protest: Sandwiches provoke boos June 21, 2015 If Saturday’s protest taught us anything, it’s that people love swearing. A small group of 20 protestors – salacious banners in-tow – jeered at people going into the local Pret-a-Manger for a much needed tea-break. “I was booed mercilessly for going to Pret,” activist Sophie Higgins told The Capitalist: “I should’ve seen it coming really.” [...]
Apple Pay in the UK: These are the retailers and restaurants signed up for the July launch June 9, 2015 Some of the UK's biggest retailers are lining up to start accepting Apple Pay when it launches in the UK next month. As well as being able to use your iPhone or Apple Watch to seamlessly glide through ticket barriers on the Tube, the Silicon Valley giant has its finger hovering over the button [...]
Bridgepoint gets theatrical with £356m deal for Nordic Cinema April 28, 2015 BRIDGEPOINT yesterday snapped up the Nordic Cinema Group, the region’s biggest movie theatre chain, for 4.7bn Swedish crowns (£356m). The Pret-a-manger owner has agreed to buy a 58 per cent stake owned by previous private equity owner Ratos and a 40 per cent stake belonging to media group Bonnier. Management retains a stake and Bonnier [...]
Pret A Manger thriving on a macaroni diet April 21, 2015 Quinoa and coffee are the order of the day, Clive Schlee tells Jenny Forsyth PRET A Manger boss Clive Schlee is talking quickly and excitedly. Perhaps he’s just feeling upbeat about the British cafe chain’s record yearly figures – showing a total sales rise of 16 per cent to £594m. Or maybe he’s had a [...]
Pret A Manger trials fine dining in a bid to boost evening trade April 8, 2015 PRET A Manger has delighted its devoted customer base by trialling a sit-down service in the evening at one of its London branches. The ubiquitous British sandwich and coffee chain started its trail run at its Strand branch two weeks ago after six months of preparation. The group is looking for ways to maximise revenues [...]
Pret A Manger for dinner? Lunch hotspot tries out evening dining menu in Strand April 8, 2015 The saviour of stomachs across the city come lunchtime is branching out with a Pret A Manger "after dark" concept. Never again need you eat anywhere other than Pret – the chain has begun serving up all the major meals in the form of breakfast, lunch and – now – dinner, with a new evening [...]
Street food in the City? Street Kitchen co-founder Mark Jankel on his locally sourced alternative to Pret February 17, 2015 We were professional chefs and we thought it would be good fun to set up a street food kitchen, just to see how it worked. We did it as a bit of a laugh for two weeks, and loved it so much we decided to pursue it as a business. I left an executive job [...]
New owners Bridgepoint feast on sales surge at Ask and Zizzi February 8, 2015 ZIZZI and Ask Italian enjoyed a 10 per cent jump in sales over the last six months, making for a tasty acquisition by Bridgepoint. The Pret A Manger-owner bought the portfolio of restaurant chains in January from rival private equity firm Cinven for £250m. The sale marked Cinven’s exit from Gondola Group after selling Pizza [...]