Veggie Pret A Manger Expands to Hong Kong

A new location of the vegetarian version of international chain Pret A Manger (“Veggie Pret”) will open in Hong Kong—the first of its kind outside of the United Kingdom. In 2016, Pret A Manger tested the vegan-friendly concept as a one-month pop-up in London. “We can’t bear to keep it a secret,” Pret Hong Kong announced on its Facebook page. “Veggie Pret is coming soon.” CEO Clive Schlee currently operates three permanent Veggie Pret locations in London after reporting that the initial pop-up exceeded his expectations by turning 70 percent in profits. “Two years ago today we opened our little Veggie Pop-Up for one month,” the company posted to social media in celebration of Veggie Pret’s anniversary, “and thanks to you, it’s here to stay.” Last month, the European conglomerate JAB Holdings—which owns brands Krispy Kreme, Panera Bread, and Stumptown Coffee—purchased Pret A Manger for $2 billion and will award all 12,000 Pret employees £1,000 ($1,340) upon completion of the sale.