Pret A Manger links up with US franchise firm to treble number of its branches in North America

BRITISH sandwich-seller Pret A Manger has linked up with US franchise firm Dallas Holdings in an ambitious strategy to treble the number of its branches in North America.

Dallas already runs about 50 Pret branches in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.

It plans to open ten more on the US east coast by 2026 while introducing new formats such as drive-thrus.

The US company also has more than 40 Pret shops in southern California as well as eight in Oxford, Stratford and Leicester in the UK.

Dallas Holdings boss Shane Thakrar said Pret A Manger was “a marquee brand that is known and loved wherever it operates”.

Pret’s chief exec Pano Christou said: “We have huge ambitions for Pret to become a more globally recognised brand.”

The company is looking to open branches in more US regions — under separate operated franchise partnerships — such as Texas, Florida and Washington state.

Pret currently operates more than 600 shops with 9,900 workers in 15 countries including Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Kuwait, India, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, Singapore, Germany, Canada and Italy.

It said it had seen sustained growth in Canada.

And in US shops recent sales rose by 10 per cent.

Hot and cold

RETAIL sales slumped during an unseasonably warm September.

The Office for National Statistics said sales volumes fell by 0.9 per cent as shoppers put off buying autumn/winter wardrobes.

Analysts say consumers tightening their belts in the run-up to Christmas is now a real concern.

Inn good nick

THE owner of Holiday Inn owner InterContinental Hotels Group said travel demand has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.

Its revenue per available room jumped 10.5 per cent over the last three months.

Boss Elie Maalouf said: “I am excited about the future for IHG.”