Leon, which went into administration in December, has recently closed down 22 restaurants and laid off 244 employees. According to the latest report from administrators at Quantuma Advisory, Leon now operates with a staff count of 573 individuals. The decision to shut approximately 20 unprofitable sites was previously disclosed by the fast food chain.
While a comprehensive list of the shuttered branches has not been made public by Leon, reports indicate that several establishments have ceased operations. The company faced losses of £12.5 million in 2023, £8.3 million in 2024, and nearly £10 million based on preliminary figures for 2025, as reported by The Telegraph.
John Vincent, one of Leon’s co-founders, shared plans to expand into service stations, airports, and train stations in a recent BBC Big Boss Interview podcast. Vincent emphasized the strategic shift towards transport hubs, citing the higher profitability potential compared to high street locations due to revised business rates and escalating costs.
Vincent attributed the closures of Leon to upcoming changes in business rates calculations and overall cost escalations. Established in 2004 by Vincent, Henry Dimbleby, and Allegra McEvedy, Leon operates 44 company-owned restaurants along with 22 franchised locations.
In 2025, Vincent repurchased the business from previous owner Asda. Leon was initially acquired by Mohsin Issa and Zuber Issa’s EG Group in 2021, later becoming part of Asda’s business in 2023. Vincent noted that Leon did not align with Asda’s strategic vision, leading to the buyback.
Leon has initiated a support program for employees affected by store closures, aiming to provide alternative roles within the company or redundancy payments where necessary. Additionally, a partnership with Pret A Manger has been established to offer job opportunities to impacted Leon employees through a dedicated channel.
