Pret A Manger coming to East Dulwich! (Now open)

[Bony Fido]

Facetious comment : I didn't realise Shaun's did pastries...

[Bony Fido]

Agreed.

[Lebanums]

I love Pret over any of the others. They also support the homeless and give away any unsold food to shelters.

Bring on the ginger shots!

[OutOfFocus]

Anyone know when

[Sue__Dulwich]

Better than William Hill

[jazzer]

Frontage was open this morning, looked at a glance thatthey still have lots to do to complete the "renovation"

[fishbiscuits]

Their sandwiches are OK-ish (certainly better than M&S/Sainsburys). The coffee and pastries are not great though.

Overall seems like bad news for nearby places like Blackbird, Poached, Long Black, etc.

[Spartacus]

There goes my diet

[jazzer]

they could up their game

[Brideshead]

Prets is actually owned by MacDonalds Corporation isn?t it?

Hope they will offer Toilets, WIFI, USB phone/tablet Charging & Air Con!!!

We just have to accept soulless chain stores don?t we? Bulk centralised purchasing, massive mass marketing & huge financial power suffocating out all competition in every locality.

Welcome to Boris Britain.

Given that?s the case, suppose we have to be grateful hey?

Anyone remember La Scala caf? (closed 2 years ago)? Was the perfect independent coffee shop. Literally perfect? 😢

[redpost]

With a large seating area and the corporate ownership assauging any guilt, this place will be laptop camper central.

Get your lunch in one of the independents, and then camp in pret with a ?1.25 filter coffee.

[Jenijenjen]

I?m a fan of Pret and looking forward to the local one opening. Whether one prefers Pret or an independent is a matter of personal preference and Pret opening widens the choice. I actually prefer the friendly indifference of most Pret staff and the more spacious premises than the often cramped and smaller independent spaces.

[CPR Dave]

You?re right Brideshead, Pret A Manger did not exist until Boris became PM. Same goes for every other business that isn?t a hair shirt shop owned by one family for the last five thousand years.

[DulwichFox]

CPR Dave Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You?re right Brideshead, Pret A Manger did not

> exist until Boris became PM. Same goes for every

> other business that isn?t a hair shirt shop owned

> by one family for the last five thousand years.

What ??

Pret a Manger is an international sandwich shop franchise chain based in the United Kingdom, popularly referred to as Pret.

Founded in 1983,

Premiership of Boris Johnson became P.M. on 24 July 2019

Foxy

[Del in ED]

Oh, my days..

[Angelina]

I like the veggie Prets

[KateFord]

I have to say I like Pret cos they are reliable. You get a decent 12oz cup and pastries that are cooked fresh daily.

I try and support independents but when they only have tiny cup sizes/portions at extortionate prices, steamed milk that?s sub par (often burnt and not creamy with micro foam) and sometimes stale pastries (that are a day or two old), it puts me off going.

Obviously this isn?t the case for all independents (I?d say Kanella and Bon are always consistently good) but from trying every coffee place in East Dulwich I?d say I experienced this in 50% of them.

[Zak]

Pret are not owned by McDonalds. For a short time, a couple of years back,McDonalds did have a small stake in the business, but withdrew and are no longer involved.

While they are undeniably corporate, they should be given some credit for running a very good charitable foundation - the Pret Foundation - which provides employment opportunities to homeless people in their restaurants and a range of support.

[bilksy]

I like pret, the food I think is great and gives another option. Doesn?t mean people won?t use or support the independents. There are much worse chains?..

[Brideshead]

- Zak you don?t work in Pret PR dept? 😉😉😉

Also before we stand outside our front doors to clap Pret a la NHS style? where are they paying tax?

🧐🧐🧐

[goldilocks]

They publish their tax strategy and their annual accounts so maybe just have a look?

Brideshead Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> - Zak you don?t work in Pret PR dept?

> 😉😉😉

>

> Also before we stand outside our front doors to

> clap Pret a la NHS style? where are they paying

> tax?

>

> 🧐🧐🧐

[Sue]

Del in ED Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh, my days..

🤣🤣🤣

[Brideshead]

-Bilksy

Get the point you are making, but if I might say, think your position is a bit na?ve. Unfortunately in ?capitalist-anything-goes Britain? companies have free reign - & often engage in - predatory practices. Which they are under the law perfectly entitled to do.

These include temporary undercutting / loss pricing to specifically close smaller independents without huge finance behind them or market capture that is opening a loss making branch to prevent competitors getting a foothold.

So what could happen is that ?more? for ED locals, in the long run, means ?less?.

Would be nice to think net result of new Prets would ?add to the flourishing eclectic range of shops, caf?s, pubs & restaurants? though? even if I am somewhat doubtful set against prior experience 🧐

[Zak]

Brideshead.....

No I don?t work in Pret?s PR department. I?ve simply followed their progress since they opened their first shop in Victoria in the 80s. And drunk quite a bit of their coffee.

However, I did run a homelessness charity and I?ve always been impressed by what their Foundation does, as a small charity, in providing employment and support to single homeless people.

[TWB Cat Sitter]

Any small, independent business can & should hope to achieve the success of larger businesses like Pret. Competition is healthy.