Pret A Manger is to open its second dedicated vegetarian outlet next week, chief executive Clive Schlee has revealed.
Schlee, writing in a blog for the sandwich chain, said that following overwhelming success of the company's first Veggie Pret last year, the firm will be opening a second, permanent store at Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch, London on 4 April.
The location was selected due to the high levels of vegetarian sales in the area, he explained. The outlet will feature 20 new recipes, including a vegan Macaroni cheese and a vegan chocolate brownie.
Schlee urged customers to get in touch and help define the future of the Veggie Pret brand. 'As ever, I encourage you to let us know what you like and what we’re getting wrong,' he wrote. 'We read every tweet and review and they help us decide which recipes you’d like to see in all our shops, and where we need to try harder.'
He also reported on a recent visit to the Pret team in Hong Kong, saying that their “Not Just For Veggies” campaign was well rececived by customers and media, as well as getting a warm response from the Buddhist community.
'It can be no coincidence that the launch of the campaign has helped our Hong Kong business to enjoy three consecutive weeks of record sales,' Schlee pointed out. 'It seems the movement for eating less meat continues to grow. The next stop for Pret will be the US, where we’ll be launching a new veggie range in all our US shops at the end of April.'
The move to expand the Veggie Pret fascia has gone down well with The Vegan Society. Spokesperson Dominika Piasecka said: “We are very pleased that Pret are recognising the increasing demand for vegan food by opening a second Veggie Pret shop, this time permanently. As more customers learn about the ethical, environmental and health benefits of the vegan lifestyle, many businesses have been reacting positively by introducing vegan choices.
“Offering vegan options in restaurants makes clear commercial sense – businesses are opening potential market up to not only half a million vegans in the UK, but also to a million more vegetarians, the huge number of meat and dairy reducers, the lactose intolerant, and others who simply enjoy vegan food from time to time.”
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