Leon, which went into administration in December, has closed down 22 restaurants and cut 244 jobs. According to administrators at Quantuma Advisory, Leon now employs 573 staff after the closures. The fast food chain had previously announced the closure of approximately 20 unprofitable sites.
While a detailed list of the closed branches has not been provided by Leon, some of the shut down restaurants include those mentioned in reports by The Telegraph. The company faced losses of £12.5 million in 2023, £8.3 million in 2024, and nearly £10 million based on preliminary figures for 2025.
Co-founder John Vincent disclosed plans to focus on expanding into service stations, airports, and train stations rather than high street locations. In an interview on the BBC Big Boss Interview podcast, he emphasized the profitability potential in transport hubs, stating that a 2% profit margin at an airport is equivalent to a 6% margin on the high street.
Vincent attributed the closures of Leon to upcoming changes in business rates calculations and overall cost escalations. Established in 2004 by Vincent, Henry Dimbleby, and Allegra McEvedy, Leon operates 44 company-owned restaurants and 22 franchised ones.
Vincent repurchased the business from previous owner Asda in 2025. Leon was initially sold to EG Group, owned by Mohsin Issa and Zuber Issa, in 2021, and later became part of Asda in 2023. Vincent highlighted that Leon did not align with Asda’s strategic focus during their ownership.
Leon has initiated a program to assist employees affected by store closures, aiming to relocate them to other Leon restaurants first. In cases where relocation is not feasible, redundancy payments will be provided. Additionally, a partnership with Pret A Manger has been established to facilitate affected employees in applying for job opportunities.
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