Pret continues global expansion with new Middle East franchise partner

Pret A Manger has teamed up with Kuwaiti franchise group One PM Franchising to grow its presence in the Middle East. The move forms part of Pret A Manger’s ambitious plan to double the size of its business within the next five years. It follows an October agreement to introduce the Pret brand and products to A&W restaurants in Canada, the launch of a self-serve coffee brand in the UK, and a coffee subscription service. One PM Franchising is a subsidiary of One Franchising Holding, a regional food and beverage operator with a presence across eight countries. Currently, Pret’s Middle East presence comprises just three stores in Dubai, UAE, which include two at its international airport. “Demand for our freshly prepared food and organic coffee is growing, so to meet that demand we committed to an ambitious growth plan. Our new partnership with One PM Franchising will help expand the beloved Pret brand in the Middle East, where we already have three shops. We’re really pleased that Hamad and the One PM team will be joining us on this journey, helping to spread Pret joy to more customers,” said Pret CEO Pano Christou. “We’re pleased to be partnering with Pret A Manger to bring the freshly made food and organic coffee chain to Kuwait, and potentially other regional countries, and help expand its brand to our existing customers and markets in the Middle East,” added Hamad Al-Sayer, One PM Franchising Chairman. In a busy year for Pret, the JAB Holdings-owned coffee chain entered roadside franchisee partnerships with independent forecourt operator, MFG, and motorway services operator, Moto, to open stores at UK petrol stations. In May, it announced a concession store trial at Tesco supermarkets in the UK. In August, it partnered US coffee giant JDE Peet’s to launch a new range of at-home coffee pods. Hot on the heels of its Middle East franchise agreement, Pret announced it would trial its first ever loyalty programme. ‘Pret Perks’ will be available to Pret’s Coffee Subscription customers through their Pret A Manger digital accounts as part of an initial trial. “As with any new piece of technology we are currently in the testing phase and rolling this out slowly to our Pret Superfans, our Coffee Subscribers, and will be looking to take learnings on board to make the loyalty programme the best it can be. We hope to open it up to all customers as soon as possible in 2022. Over the past 18 months we’ve responded to how people now want to interact with our brand and products, from launching bake-at-home croissants, to growing our digital capabilities through the launch of Pret’s Coffee Subscription,” said Clare Clough, UK Managing Director, Pret A Manger.