Pret A Manger is reopening 10 branches located near London hospitals from today (8am-2pm), which will be available for takeaway and delivery only. This is in response to requests from a number of local NHS workers and hospitals.
The move allows the chain to also get its supply chain up and running to donate food to homeless charities, so it will be donating 7,000 additional meals per week to our homeless charity partners.
Delivery is available through third party delivery partners. Pret will also be working with local hospitals to make catering bundles available for collection for NHS workers.
The company is offering a limited menu of some of its most popular sandwiches, salads and baguettes, as well as hot and cold drinks, baked goods, fruit and snacks (e.g. crisps, cold drinks and bars). In addition, Pret will be selling a selection of essential items in these shops, such as milk, butter, and tea.
The 50% discount for NHS workers has been reinstated until the end of this month.
These shops will be staffed by team members who have volunteered to be part of this – Pret has 160 team members who will be working across the 10 shops. All the volunteers have undergone a thorough interview to ensure that they are fit to return to work. Those living with anyone vulnerable are permitted to return.
All UK Pret employees will continue to get 100% of their pay until the end of April, regardless of whether they have volunteered to work in the reopened shops.
There will be a designated pick up point for delivery drivers, and separate doors will be used for deliveries and customers wherever possible.
One person in the kitchen has been nominated as a ‘kitchen runner’ who will get the products needed for each Team Member doing food preparation, in order to minimise the amount of movement in the kitchen.
Restrictions are in place which allows only one person in certain areas of the kitchen at any one time – for example, fridges or staff rooms.
Protective Perspex screens are fitted to the till counters, and Team Members and Baristas are distanced behind the till counter. Also, there are enhanced cleaning processes, including 30-minute sanitising of all hand contact surfaces.
Customers will queue outside the shop at two meters apart from each other, with clear markings for queuing. Customer flow into the shop will be restricted, with no more than six customers at any one time.
Only card payments will be allowed, no cash will be accepted.
The reopened sites: City Rd EC1, Kings Rd SW3, St Georges Wharf SW8, Circus Rd NW8, Warren St W1, Brompton Rd SW7, St Georges University of London SW17, Fulham Rd SW10, Tooting Broadway SW17, and Great Portland St W1.