'Naturally fast food' brand Leon set to tuck in to Scottish expansion

“Naturally fast food” brand Leon is expanding into Scotland as part of massive expansion plans to more than double the pace of its store rollout programme, creating 4,000 jobs over the next three years.

The chain says it will open north of the Border in early 2022, while it is also set to extend its reach into Wales and across Europe longer term.

The growth – which will see more than 50 restaurants debut in the next year, creating 1,000 jobs in that time – comes after the firm was earlier this year acquired by Blackburn-based convenience retail giant EG Group.

Leon’s regional expansion also follows it opening its first Drive-Thru in West Yorkshire and sites in Asda Milton Keynes and Asda Holtspur in Beaconsfield –and the brand already has 70 restaurants in the UK, as well as in the Netherlands, Ireland and Gran Canaria.

The chain says it will open north of the Border in early 2022. Picture: contributed.

New restaurants will include both traditional and new formats such as drive-thrus; smaller sites on petrol forecourts and Asda premises; and Leon To Go coffee outlets.

Additionally, the expansion programme will be accompanied by additional investment into digital platforms across Leon sites, including new digital kiosks and menu screens, and enabling customers to order remotely without a queue.

Further capital will be directed into grocery and expanding the Leon at Home range, which will extend the range of products available across grocery, cookbooks, and homeware.

Glenn Edwards, MD of Leon restaurants, said: “For the first time we will be taking LEON across the country, driving regional growth at speed. The new formats in this rollout will build on our traditional restaurants and form a base for further growth.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.