Ownership history
The business, then owned by Penta Capital, which had bought a stake in the firm in August 2005, [4] was bought by private equity firm Lyceum Capital (later re-branded Horizon Capital) [6] in March 2011. [7] Annual sales were £68 million in 2008 and approximately £100 million in 2012. The 2012 profit was £2.7 million. [7] In November 2012, the company opened a £1 million flagship outlet in the Strand, London. [7] [8]
Eat expanded with operations in France and Spain through franchise agreements.
In May 2019, having struggled in an increasingly competitive market and having made a loss of £17m the previous year, Eat was acquired by Pret a Manger. Pret a Manger suggested that it might use the chain's locations to expand its Veggie Pret format to cater for a growing trend towards vegan and vegetarian food. [9]
On 23 March 2020, it was announced that the remaining 90 UK Eat branded restaurants were to close permanently. [10]
Subway IP LLC, doing business as Subway, is an American multinational fast food restaurant franchise that specializes in submarine sandwiches (subs), wraps, salads, and drinks. Subway was founded by Fred DeLuca and financed by Peter Buck in 1965 as Pete's Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After several name changes in the beginning years, it was finally renamed Subway in 1972, and a franchise operation began in 1974 with a second restaurant in Wallingford, Connecticut. Since then it has expanded to become a global franchise.
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Lightlife Foods is a company that produces food for plant-based diets. In 2018, its worth was estimated at $80 million. It is best known for its plant-based veggie dog, Smart Dog, which launched in 1993. In 2019, the company launched a plant-based burger to compete with Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. Lightlife Foods is a carbon-neutral company.
itsu is a British chain of East Asian-inspired fast food shops and restaurants and a grocery company. The company offers franchises.
As far back as the 1970s, international fast food restaurant chain Burger King has attempted to introduce a premium line of burgers. These sandwiches are part of a system which eventually became known as the barbell strategy; a plan designed to expand Burger King's menu with both more sophisticated, adult-oriented fare along with products that are more value-oriented. This program is intended to bring in a larger, more affluent adult audience who will be willing to spend more on the better quality products on one side while maintaining a lower cost value menu dedicated to a more cost-conscious audience on the other. The hope is that the customers would be drawn in initially for the lower prices of the value-menu and upgrade to the more expensive products, upping overall sales.
The Aroma Cafe (S.A.) is an Argentine coffee chain and a former British coffee chain. It was founded in London, England in 1991 and started in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2000.
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Vital Ingredient was a UK brand which operated a chain of made-to-order salad and soup bars in London, mainly in the City and around Soho.
Jollibee Foods Corporation is a Filipino multinational company based in Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines. JFC is the owner of the fast food brand Jollibee.
Impossible Foods Inc. is a company that develops plant-based substitutes for meat products. The company's signature product, the Impossible Burger, was launched in July 2016 as a vegan alternative to beef hamburger.
Collins Foods Limited is a publicly-listed Australian company focused in restaurant operations. It operates KFC and Taco Bell restaurants in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands. It previously owned the US-based Sizzler restaurants, operated Sizzler in Australia and franchised Sizzler in Asia. It also operated Snag Stand in Australia, and was the majority-owner of the Pat & Oscar's in the US.
