The expansion of Pret A Manger into Canada continues!
This spring, A&W announced it had signed an agreement granting the restaurant chain with master franchisor rights in Canada.
The plan was to try the concept out as a store-within-a-store model in Vancouver.
The first one debuted in July, located inside the A&W at Marine Gateway, by the Marine Drive Canada Line Station, in South Vancouver off Cambie Street.
So far, Pret has established four such locations in the whole country. In addition to Marine Gateway in Vancouver, there are three in Toronto.
Now, however, Vancouver's second store-within-a-store Pret is being prepped to open at the A & W at Broadway and Cambie (467 West Broadway).
Signs are going up at the fast-food outlet, and inside, the infrastructure is being installed.
The location fits well with what it appears Pret and A & W have planned for Canada and Vancouver; the Pret customer is looking for grab-and-go, and with the Broadway-Cambie A&W positioned right across from the Canada Line station and at a major intersection, this spot could be ideal for the brand's experiment.
Ttems available at Pret inside A&W in Vancouver include things like baguette sandwiches such as tuna and ham and cheese in full and "mini" sizes, salads with chicken and avocado, falafel wraps, and cookies and croissants. Hot selections include oatmeal, a Chicken Parm wrap, and soups, like lentil. Customers can order Pret A Manger coffee from the counter.
All the transactions for both Pret and A&W are handled at the front counter at the same tills.
"Pret operates a bit like a restaurant. We build a kitchen in (or very near) every shop. You won’t find ‘sell by’ dates on our fresh sandwiches and salads," explains Pret on its main website. Sandwiches at the Vancouver Pret indicate a "Packaged on" date, however.
A&W says it is introducing Pret's freshly made food and organic coffee as part of a two-year pilot where it will open the Pret brand within A&W restaurants in select Canadian markets.
If the trial phase is successful, A&W Food Services will have the exclusive right to expand the Pret brand across Canada based on an agreed upon development schedule.
The Pret brand opened in London in 1986 and operates more than 550 shops in the U.K., U.S. and several other countries.
No opening date is known for the next Pret location in Vancouver, but it does appear to be imminent, likely within a few days.
