Pret a Manger

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Inside a Pret a Manger, Strand, London

Pret A Manger (informally "Pret") is a UK sandwich retailer. As of January 2007, some stores are being rebranded to just "Pret". The company was founded in London in 1986 by friends Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe who met while studying property law at the Polytechnic of Central London, now the University of Westminster. The company's marketing emphasizes a passion for food, with all items made from natural ingredients (apart from items in the bakery, which contain trans fats) with a minimum of preservatives. All sandwiches are made on the day of purchase in a kitchen at each location. The company states that those left unsold at the end of the day are collected by charities that provide food to the homeless. Sandwiches are packaged in cardboard rather than sealed plastic, to emphasize that they are fresh and cannot be kept overnight.

The name is from the French phrase prêt à manger, meaning "ready to eat".

In 2001, McDonald's bought a 33% non-controlling stake in the company. Pret then expanded to New York (10 stores) and Hong Kong (10 stores). Unlike other fast food outlets, Pret a Manger is not a franchise. 85% of their trade is in London (where around three-quarters of their stores are located). It is still a private partnership, so its accounts are not open to the public.

The menu includes sandwiches, filled baguettes, soup, salad, and coffee. It also prepares desserts, muffins (the American variety), cakes, and croissants.

Messages in the store, on the packaging and on the website remind customers of the company's ideology; messages are often numbered: "Pret passion fact no. 74" for example. The packaging and website include recipes for some of their products, supposedly so the customer can make himself or herself a sandwich when all Pret a Manger locations in a community are closed or if the customer lives or works too far away from a Pret a Manger outlet. A sticker on a pack of sandwiches says:

No factory ★ No Shelf-life ★ Made in-store ★ No 'display until' ★ No obscure chemicals

Because only pret can share our recipes and create preservative free goodies using natural ingredients delivered before dawn to every Pret shop. Passionate chefs, hours of preparation and loads of proper fresh food.

As of November 2006, there are 155 UK stores, 118 of which are in London.

[edit] Staff

In 1998 the company employed 1,400 people, of whom 19% were from Britain and 60% were from other European Union countries, mainly in Eastern Europe. Pret a Manger only picks 1 in every 14 applicants. Applicants go on a one day experience day at a store and their success is determined by the other staff members who vote the applicant in or not. There is a big focus on development internally and many managers and senior executives have come from within the company.

[edit] Criticism

Prices are seen by some as being high when compared with other sandwich retailers, earning the company the nickname "Pret A Mortgage" (or sometimes "Get A Mortgage") among detractors.