Pret a Manger ends office focus and targets new post-COVID future with hiring spree

Pret a Manger ends office focus and targets new post-COVID future with hiring spree

Pret A Manger has revealed plans to hire 3,000 staff through a post-coronavirus strategy that will see it target sales away from city centre offices after a pandemic driven slump.

The coffee and sandwich chain, which cut thousands of jobs as its outlets were hammered by COVID-19 restrictions that forced customers to work from home, said it planned to open 200 shops in the next two years mainly in suburban areas, railways stations and motorway service areas.

It reported that UK sales were approaching pre-pandemic levels again following a 58% slump in revenue last year to £299m, resulting in an operating loss of £256.5m as it got to grips with temporary store closures.