Industry veteran John Upton says it is vital for operators to be able to build a brand with sustainable growth potential – and that means being candid about the strengths and weaknesses associated with their business. Upton, now the chairman of food-to-go brands Mother Clucker and The Naked Deli, said how experience working as managing…
Leon admits mistakes are inevitable as it takes first crack at US
British healthy fast food chain Leon admits it’s inevitable that it will “make lots of mistakes” in its bid to crack the US market. Founder and chief executive John Vincent is over in the States at the moment as the chain gears up for the launch of its first store in Washington DC. It will…
POWER LIST 2017, BUSINESS LEADERS: John Upton, Managing Director, Leon
With a focus on seasonal, fresh and natural ingredients, highly successful grab-and-go chain Leon Restaurants has emphatically proved that fast food doesn’t have to be bad food. Managing director John Upton is certainly a convert having joined the business from McDonald’s and he is using his expertise of the quick-service environment to further the group’s…
Top chains sign up to Lunch! as it prepares to make ExCel debut
A collection of the UK’s biggest food-to-go specialists are among those set to visit London’s Lunch! show later this month. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S Food, Pret A Manger, Greggs, Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero, Co-op, WH Smith, Waitrose, Starbucks, EAT., LEON, McDonald’s, and Compass Group will all be sending representatives as the show celebrates its tenth anniversary. Lunch!, which…
Leon scuttles into Scandinavia after teaming with local restaurant mogul
UK healthy fast food chain Leon is planning to open 20 branches in Scandinavia over the next five years following a deal with a restaurant group that operates more than 350 sites in the region. Umoe, a business owned by former oil industry executive Jens Ulltveit-Moe, will help Leon put down roots in Scandinavia, with…
Major reshuffle at Leon as co-founder leaves and chain eyes global expansion
There are inklings of a major reshuffle at board-level for healthy fast food chain Leon as several of its directors, including one of its founding fathers departed earlier this month and two new directors were brought in – one from the private equity group which recently bought a major stake in the business. Co-founder Henry…
Investors shun big casual dining brands for smaller restaurant concepts
Smaller restaurant concepts bidding to scale from 10 to 30 sites stand more chance of attracting private equity investment than larger, more established operators targeting 100 sites, a new report claims. Large-scale M&A has been limited during 2017, with private equity notably more cautious on the sector than in recent years. And according to business…
Leon takes new turn with first roadside restaurant deal
Fast food chain Leon has signed a franchise deal with Roadchef that will see its first roadside restaurants open this summer and kickstart its expansion into the sector. Leon said it plans to open “many more” roadside sites over the next five years although it did not give a specific number. Roadchef, one of the…
Leon bags £25m investment for overseas expansion
Healthy fast-food chain Leon has secured a £25m cash boost from Swiss investors which it will use to expand into international markets. The investment came from Spice Private Equity and will help to company to build on its international portfolio which already includes two stores in the Netherlands. Now, co-founder John Vincent has indicated that…
More major casual dining chains join ALMR’s swelling ranks
The ALMR has strengthened its status as a key representative for the UK eating-out and drinking-out market with a raft of leading companies joining the ranks, including high-profile names from the restaurant, casual dining and pub sectors. Prominent restaurant companies such as Pizza Express, Leon, Wagamama, Busaba Eathai, Itsu and Wahaca have added their names…
