Topics: UK Food, Restaurants and bars
Hundreds of fast-food employees have lost their jobs after a British retailer shut more than 20 restaurants amid an administration collapse.
Famed for its healthy grab-and-go alternatives and Mediterranean-inspired menu, Leon was established in 2004 and was once considered the ‘best new restaurant’ in the UK.
Asda acquired direct ownership in 2023, but the original co-owner, John Vincent, bought it back in October 2025, with figures reporting a sum between £30 and £50 million.
Just months after the acquisition, Leon has announced that 244 jobs have been axed.
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According to administrators Quantuma Advisory, the business now has 573 employees - down by around 40 percent from this time last year.
Recorded losses of £12.5m were made in 2023, £8.3m in 2024, and almost £10m on draft figures for 2025, as per the firm.
22 branches are set to close in Britain, with 11 already being confirmed
Speaking last month, Vincent said that the business had drifted from its ‘core values’, alleging that its previous owners had ‘bigger fish to fry’.
“Leon was always a business they didn't feel fitted their strategy,” he alleged.
“If you look at the performance of Leon's peers, you will see that everyone is facing challenges – companies are reporting significant losses due to working patterns and increasingly unsustainable taxes.”
In a statement issued upon entering administration, Leon confirmed it would try to help employees who were facing the chop to find alternative positions.
A route was said to be being set up for staff to apply for jobs at coffee shop, Pret A Manger.
Vincent also said that when the ‘most unprofitable restaurants’ closed, they would work with landlords to find ‘other brands’ to replace them.
“In other [cases] we will be asking the landlords to take the leases back and find better suited operators themselves,” he continued.
The businessman also used Leon’s pending fall into administration to call out the UK government.
He claimed: “For every pound we receive from the customer, around 36p goes to the government in tax, and about 2p ends up in the hands of the company.
“It's why most players are reporting big losses,” he alleged.
Vincent hoped that after paying debts, he will be able to secure a long-term future for Leon and rebuild the company ‘on its core values’.
“I hope to be providing jobs to many more people once we have returned to profitability and can continue to grow again,” he said, as per The Guardian.
