UK fast food chain to close 20 'worst performing' branches amidst major restructure
The UK high street has been hit with a few losses this year. Everything from clothing retailers to garden centres, many big name brands have had to close the doors to multiple branches throughout 2025.Now fast-food chain Leon is said to be making a few closures after it collapsed into administration yesterday, December 10. It comes amidst a major restructure for the business just after its original founder John Vincent bought it back from Asda.The trendy food hotspot is reported to have appointed administrators at Quantuma in a move that places the future of the worst-performing of its 71 stores at risk. As of writing, no closures have been announced and stores remain open, the BBC reports.Leon is a UK-based fast-food chain that was first established in 2004 by by John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby with chef Allegra McEvedy. Its mission was to create "healthier" fast-food at affordable prices, making it standout from its fellow fast food rivals.Many of its restaurants are mostly based in England, although it does operate self-service coffee kiosks in certain Scottish locations including Livingston, Haddington and Glasgow. It previously operated an outlet in Glasgow's Buchanan Galleries, opened in 2021, although it's unclear if this remains open.It has not yet been confirmed which locations and how many of the firm's 1,000 staff members will be affected by the move. However, it added that it would try to find jobs in stores that will remain open in the first instance.To help ensure employees find work, Leon has developed a programme with Pret a Manger for those who cannot take a job with another Leon outlet. This will allow them to apply for a job with the coffee chain as an alternative.The closures come after an initial review of the company found that it was making a loss of £10 million a year, with "the most unprofitable restaurants" set for the axe. Following the announcement, Leon will be working with administrators Quantuma to discuss plans with landlords and sort out its future.John Vincent, Leon owner, said: "In many cases we have found other brands to replace us, and in others we will be asking the landlords to take the leases back and find better suited operators themselves."He also added that customers will most likely see "big changes on the menu next spring."News of Leon's restaurant closures comes after it was bought back from Asda by its original owners in October. The healthy fast food firm was sold to billionaire Issa Brothers in a deal said to be worth £100 million back in 2021.Following the acquisition, Vincent said that the business had "lost its core values" under Asda's struggling leadership, although he was "sympathetic" to the struggles of running a healthy fast-food business. He added: "In the last two years, Asda had bigger fish to fry, and Leon was always a business they didn't feel fitted their strategy."However, the food chain's owner also went on to cite multiple factors facing the hospitality sector as a whole for its losses recently. This has included "unsustainable taxes", internal challenges and Coronavirus pandemic.Leon isn't the only firm on the UK high street to face challenges this year, as River Island previously announced that it would be undergoing restructuring plans, leading to the loss of 33 stores across the UK.This included six branches across Scotland, with its Edinburgh branch on princes Street closing in September, with sites in Perth, Cumbernauld, Kirkcaldy, Kilmarnock and Falkirk earmarked for closure in early January 2026.The fashion giant also cited a migration to online shopping as the main factor after it reported a £33.2m full-year loss after sales fell 19 percent, with the firm facing insolvency if its plans were not approved by the high court.
