Large international fast-food franchise launching in South Africa next month

British multi-national sandwich and coffee shop franchise Pret A Manger will launch in South Africa on 14 February 2025 at Melrose Arch in Joburg.

Pret A Manger, better known as Pret, opened its first shop in 1986 in the United Kingdom. Its mission was to serve freshly made food and good organic coffee.

The format worked, and the company grew to a global powerhouse with 690 shops operating in more than 18 markets.

Pret employs around 12,500 people globally across equity and franchise shops, and it is a globally recognisable brand in many developed countries.

Pret restaurants can be found in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Switzerland, Brussels, India, Germany, Italy and Portugal.

There are also Pret A Manger restaurants in Kuwait, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, Singapore, Canada, Greece, Spain and Qatar.

In 2023, Pret’s worldwide system sales exceeded £1.1 billion (R25.5 billion), up 22% from the previous year.

The restaurant chain achieved same-store sales growth of 15% and opened a record number of new stores.

A total of 81 new shops opened worldwide, of which more than half were outside the UK, including in the US, Canada, India, Greece and Spain.

Pret’s growth in India has already been the fastest market expansion in Pret’s history, with 15 shops opened across Mumbai and Delhi within 12 months.

Pret has achieved the medium-term growth target set in 2021 of doubling the size of the business within five years, three years ahead of schedule.

“I am so proud of the progress we have made over the last three years,” Pret A Manger chief executive Pano Christou said.

“We set some tough targets to get Pret going again after the pandemic, and we have delivered on these targets.”

He added that £1 in every £4 is now spent outside the UK, which is an achievement and an opportunity for the Pret business.

“It shows how big the appetite is from customers all over the world for Pret’s menu and our unique range of ingredients and recipes,” Christou said.

Pret A Manger launching in South Africa

Christou told The Money Show that Pret A Manger will open its first restaurant in South Africa on 14 February 2025.

In February 2024, the Millat Group signed a deal with Pret for the exclusive licence to operate Pret stores in Southern Africa.

Millat said the deal forms part of its long-term strategy to expand into the sector by offering customers access to organic and sustainable food.

“Pret A Manger has the best in class offering of organic grab and go and a food service offering that stands out,” Millat Group CEO Hamza Farooqui said.

Christou praised the Millat Group, saying it is a family business which understands the local nuances in South Africa.

“When we decided to work with the Millat Group, they have ticked all the boxes for us,” he said.

Farooqui explained that this partnership aligns with Millat’s strategy of bringing global brands into South Africa.

Christou said bringing Pret’s freshly made food and organic coffee to Africa marks a significant milestone in their international expansion.

He said that during a recent visit to South Africa, he consumed the food that will be on the menu here.

“There is much more spice than what we are used to in Europe. I like spicy food, so I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said.

“The acid test will be when we open our first location in South Africa on 14 February, and we start connecting with the local consumers.”

“It will tell us how far we got things right and where we made mistakes. There will be mistakes from which we will learn.”

He said Pret will price its products in South Africa to ensure it is competitive and offer value for money to consumers.

“Pret must ensure that when a consumer visits its store and get served by our staff, they must feel that the experience was great value for money,” he said.

“We don’t have the brand awareness in South Africa that many of our competitors enjoy, so we have to be mindful of that.”

He said Pret is a great environment to shop in, offering excellent quality food, ranging from chicken to organic coffee.

Keeping things fresh

Pret A Manger is known for serving freshly made food which is prepared in their shop kitchens throughout the day.

This means that they avoid frozen food, forcing the company to source the ingredients they use locally.

Christou was very impressed by the fresh produce supply chain in South Africa, from which they will get their ingredients.

“The number of products we source locally in South Africa with our new market entry is the highest ever,” he said.

He said this is a feather in the cap of the local fresh produce industry, which is on par with the best in the world.

He confirmed that Pret will prepare the sandwiches and salads it sells throughout the day to ensure freshness.

“Customers will sense and taste the quality of the products we will offer in Pret stores in South Africa,” he said.

He admitted that producing fresh food impacts margins and adds complexity to the business model.

“We need to carefully consider how we scale up and choose a menu suitable to local conditions,” he said.

This means that the initial Pret A Manger menu in South Africa will not be too broad. However, it will be scaled up as the business matures.

Inside a Pret A Manger