Pret is reopening another 20 of its sites for takeaways and delivery.

The business has already reopened 10 stores in London, staffed by volunteers from its workforce.

From tomorrow (1 May), Pret will open the doors of another 20 sites in the capital, which will be staffed by workers previously employed at those sites.

The cafés will offer a limited menu, including some of Pret’s most popular sandwiches and baguettes, as well as baked goods. The shops will also be selling a selection of essential items such as milk, butter and coffee.

Members have undergone a thorough interview to ensure they are fit to return to work, said the company. Those living with anyone vulnerable will not be permitted to return.

“We will reopen a further 20 shops in London for takeaway and delivery across all major platforms, helping more people get access to freshly made food,” said Pano Christou, CEO of Pret.

“These Pret shops look and feel a little different, thanks to the new safety and social distancing measures we’ve put in place, and I believe we’ve found a way to operate that reflects the government’s guidance and looks after our teams and customers.”

The business will be adhering to the government guidelines for social distancing in the workplace:

  • Designated pick-up points for delivery drivers, with separate doors used for deliveries and customers wherever possible.
  • One person in the kitchen will be nominated as a ‘kitchen runner’ who will get the products needed for each team member doing food preparation, to minimise the amount of movement in the kitchen.
  • There will be limited benches, which have been spaced apart.
  • Restrictions to allow only one person in certain areas of the kitchen at any one time – for example, fridges or staff rooms.
  • Enhanced cleaning processes, including 30-minute sanitising of all hand-contact surfaces.
  • Protective Perspex screens will be fitted to the till counter.
  • Team members and baristas will be distanced behind the till counter.
  • Only card payments will be allowed, no cash will be accepted.
  • Customer flow into the shop will be restricted, with no more than six customers at any one time.
  • Customers will queue outside the shop at two metres apart from each other, with clear markings for queuing.

“I’m also pleased to say that we are extending our 50% discount for NHS workers until 15 May and, of course, will be ensuring our unsold food goes to even more of our charity partners. We’ll keep on learning from these shops as we look to reopen more over the coming weeks,” Christou added.

Shops will be open daily from 8am-2pm and deliveries are available through Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats.

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