Longtime quick-service food and coffee executive Felipe Athayde was recently tapped by the UK-based chain Pret A Manger to lead operations in the U.S. as president.
Athayde, who formerly led Tim Hortons in the U.S., has been tasked with growing Pret A Manger beyond its current 66-location footprint in North America, which includes more than 40 New York City-area stores. As of late 2022, there were 64 Pret U.S. locations.
“Pret is a brand I have known and loved for many years, and the opportunity ahead in the U.S. is massive,” Athayde said in a LinkedIn post. “I’m here to help unlock that potential and lead the next chapter of growth in the world’s largest food-to-go market.”
Athayde most recently served as CEO of New York-based Authentic Restaurant Brands (ARB), an investment platform focusing on established regional restaurant brands. Previously, through nearly a decade at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), Athayde served as Tim Hortons’ U.S. president, as Americas President of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen and as Latin American president of Burger King.
One of Pret’s long-running menu boasts has been its commitment to sourcing 100% organic-certified coffee.
European coffee holdings giant JAB acquired Pret A Manger in 2018. The group also owns Keurig Dr Pepper, Panera Brands, and Stumptown and Intelligentsia parent company JDE Peet’s.
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