Pret A Manger is quite the name for a restaurant, and you might be thinking about an exotic French bistro filled with hard to pronounce pastries and other fare. The company is from London and their menu would look quite familiar to most Americans. Their coffee and sandwiches have made them a household name in the U.K., and it’s that same comfort food that has caught on in the U.S. Pret A Manger has entered the U.S., and they are ready for aggressive expansion.

Pret opened its first shop in 1986 at 75B Victoria Street in London, yet most Brits will swear that the chain has always existed. There really is no way to overstate how ubiquitous and loved that Pret is across the pond. The brand was founded by Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham and their goal was to create a store that served a “proper sandwich.” Even though Pret is known for their coffee in the U.S., it was sandwiches that gave the company its start. The U.K. was in the middle of a sandwich boom that had been kicked off when department store Marks & Spencer began selling packaged sandwiches in 1980. Metcalfe and Beecham may have been six years late to the party, yet they brought authenticity and a handcrafted touch that you couldn’t get elsewhere. The restaurant was more akin to a deli where all the meats and cheeses were laid out for customers to see as the sandwiches were prepared.

The founders opened a second store in 1989 and reached 53 locations by 1997. The growth was so explosive that McDonald’s bought a 33% stake in the company in 2001. In 2019 the company even bought one of their rival chains and turned all remaining locations into Prets. Their claim to fame is their freshly prepared sandwiches in an array of options that are equally convenient. American sandwich chain Jimmy John’s may offer food at a “freaky fast” pace, yet it is hard to beat getting in and out with a sandwich inside of three minutes. The chain is most popular with the weekly British lunch crowd who are looking for a fresh lunch to quickly buy and eat before heading back to work. Pret’s coffee offerings have also grown more popular over the years as customers look to grab an organic cup of joe without getting caught in a long line.

Pret A Manger officially entered the U.S. when they opened their first non-London location in New York City in 2000. Since then, the company has slowly gained popularity in the states and has added several dozen locations over the last 20 years. Those expansion plans are about to ramp up though, as the chain plans to reach over 300 locations by 2029. These expansion plans are driven by Americans ever growing need for coffee and their desire for more organic options. Pret’s committed to only using organic ingredients in their coffee along with fresh ingredients for their sandwiches. They also donate their unsold food every day and run a Coffee Fund to support the next generation of farmers. These social causes have resonated with consumers in the U.S. and driven the brand’s popularity.

They are a staple of London culture and now they plan to make it a worldwide name. The U.S. is a different beast, and the more rural makeup of the states will certainly bring challenges. The brand is already making the smart choice of putting their coffee front and center as that product is likely to be more popular with Americans. Only time will tell if Pret can recapture the magic they did with Londoners.