British food chain Pret A Manger to open its first shop in Mumbai

British Food Chain 'Pret A Manger', on Thursday, announced its plans to launch its first shop in Mumbai, India. The store will go public on April 21, 2023 in the Maker Maxity, Mumbai, the food chain said in a statement.

"We are thrilled to be opening the first Pret A Manger shop in India. Freshness of ingredients, authenticity of recipes, and a curiosity in processes defines the new Indian consumer. Our partnership with Pret A Manger aims to tap into this curiosity with an offering that we can proudly say - ensures traceability of coffee beans as much as a zero additive approach to food,” said Darshan Mehta, MD, Reliance Brands.

Pret A Manger also revealed that it plans to open more shops later this year.

However, the first Pret A Manger shop, which is all set to open in Mumbai tomorrow,  is a recreation of Pret’s London shops with a large dining space spread across 2,567 square feet, the company revealed in a statement.

The shop will offer customers a wide range of sandwiches, baguettes, salads, soups, as well as a variety of organic coffee, tea, shakes and smoothie options in its menu. Additionally, items like Pret Pickle & Posh Cheddar Granary Sandwich, Avocado & Toms- Stone Baked Baguette, Smoked Salmon Protein Box Salad and a selection of freshly baked goods including Pret’s best-selling croissants and cookies constitute the food menu of the Mumbai store.

Furthermore, the coffee chain claimed that all freshly made food will be hand prepared in Pret’s onsite kitchen every day, and will be never be held over to the next day.

Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger said, "People will recognise some of our freshly prepared lunch-time classics, our delicious croissants and 100 percent organic Arabica coffee. Coming to India has been a goal of ours for a long time, and the opening of our first shop in Mumbai is a landmark moment in our international expansion plans. We’re confident that with the support of RBL, the Pret brand will be a hit with consumers in India, and a welcome addition to the country’s growing food-to-go market."

Pret A Manger will compete with Starbucks, Café Coffee Day, and Krispy Kreme among others in this segment.

Founded in 1984 by Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham, Pret A Manger is the retailer of natural, ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads and drinks. However, Pret A Manger opened its first store in London in 1986. The company is headquartered in London and employs over 12,000 employees across more than 450 locations.

Last year in June, Reliance Brands Ltd (RBL), the retail brand licensing arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), announced a strategic partnership with Pret A Manger, to launch and build the brand in India.