Manchester’s Veggie Pret to close and convert to regular branch
Pret A Manger has announced that it’ll be closing its final Veggie stores across the UK, and converting them over to regular branches.
And this includes the outlet here in Manchester.
Sat on the corner of Deansgate and King Street in the heart of the city centre, Manchester’s Veggie Pret first opened its doors back in 2018, and proved to be a popular new addition right from the off – but it’s now the end of the road for the solely vegetarian and vegan restaurant, as the brand has decided to call time on its final stores.
The sandwich chain began opening its dedicated Veggie branches to cater for growing public demand at the time after it trialled the format eight years ago.
Although all regular Pret branches across the UK serve a decent selection of vegetarian and vegan options, the offerings at Veggie Prets are known to be much greater – especially when it comes to plant-based food.
At one point, Pret had 10 Veggie outlets on high streets nationwide, and had even been planning to convert the majority of the Eat stores it had acquired in 2019 to Veggie Prets too, according to Retail Gazette.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way of the company’s plans and forced it to “reevaluate”.
With the chain explaining that because its other stores offer meat-free options, it did not need the standalone sites, Pret began shuttering a number of its Veggie Prets in late 2022, and then more again in 2023, until there were only three branches still standing in 2024.
Not final closing dates have been confirmed, as far as we’re aware, but the final two Veggie Prets in London, and the one here in Manchester, are expected to be converted over in due course.
Speaking on the decision to close the four final Veggie Prets, a spokesperson for the company said that “every Pret is a Veggie Pret”, as one in three of the main meals it now sells at all regular branches is either vegetarian or vegan, and there’s new additions to the menu being added all the time.
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The spokesperson then assured customers that the company plans offering an “even broader selection” of vegetarian and vegan options in all Prets going forward.
Featured Image – Pret A Manger (via Facebook)