PRET A MANGER
Pret A Manger has been registered in the UK for food and drink services since the first shop opened in Hampstead, London in 1986. The French name — meaning 'ready to eat' — was chosen by British founders Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe despite neither being French.
UK IPO Record
Brand History & Trademark Analysis
Pret A Manger has been registered in the UK for food and drink services since the first shop opened in Hampstead, London in 1986. The French name — meaning 'ready to eat' — was chosen by British founders Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe despite neither being French. The brand pioneered the natural fast-food concept in Britain and its trademark became synonymous with lunchtime culture in British cities.
The brand pioneered the natural fast-food concept in Britain and its trademark became synonymous with lunchtime culture in British cities.
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Historical Background
Pret A Manger was founded in 1986 near Victoria station in London. McDonald's Corporation acquired a minority stake in 2001, which it later sold in 2008. JAB Holding Company acquired Pret in 2018 for £1.5 billion. The brand expanded to the United States in 1996 but faced naming obstacles: a Washington DC sandwich company had registered the name "Prêt à Manger" first, requiring settlement negotiations before Pret could trade under its own mark in the US market.