What do we really think of the Pret a Itsu Empire?

The rise of this sandwich shop, and it’s prodigal sushi line, is viewed as the epitome of capitalistic excess. Every street in London needs at least six of these it seems. Itsu is the diversification of Pret a Manger’s Julian Metcalfe. For some of us, this fact alone is enough to get our teeth grinding. Old shops and businesses close and these branches sweep in just five minute’s from their last location, like some sort of Orwellian canteen system. And what else would the aim be? Equipping every office, campus and shop with a convenient outside canteen. This ensures happy customers and population-strong profits.

The price is the homogenisation of London, like every other town becoming a sequence of competing international brands offering more or less the same thing. However, unlike Starbucks, “Pret” is actually a London brand born in Hampstead in 1986. It is a common misconception that they are now owned by Mcdonalds. In fact, Ronald bought a 33% stake in the American expansion of the brand in 2001 which was sold on in 2008. Therefore, should we in fact be celebrating the success of a London-based startup? Who provide good quality and healthy options for a reasonable lunch?

The Niche

What defined Pret was the aim to recreate French sandwich shops, where a hot croque monsieur is quicker than and the same price as a Tesco meal deal. With Itsu, we really do see a new venture in introducing sushi to this format of quick, pre-made takeaway.

The downside is a coffee and panini in Pret will cost you about six or seven pounds. A few mouthfuls of Itsu sushi is around five pounds per box. With a competitive market, their use of chance-bargains shows an ingenious marketing trick.

Itsu Sales and Pret Freebies

We are probably all fans of the Itsu sale. Should you not already be aware of this, half an hour before closing time Itsu sells its sushi boxes half price. They can’t keep it, so the average box works out at £2-3! This is ideal if you’ve been working late and want an invigorating light dinner on your way home, leaving your evening free.

Branches vary their closing time between eight, nine and eleven during the week, so you can find a sale time that works for you. These are often met with a queue twenty minutes before. The tills are ready and waiting but no one is going to step forth before the sale starts! People stack up several boxes- which might lead you to Google just how long you could keep some in your fridge. This is not really recommended and they are probably buying for a houseful.

Itsu also offer a free banana with your coffee– which is basically lunch sorted. It’s only a few pence in a supermarket, but then we’d have to walk to another shop.

As for Pret, some of us are lucky to have been given a free hot drink. Pret staff have to fill a quota of free giveaway drinks each week. What guides their choice we don’t know- they fancy you? You were cheery and polite? They didn’t want to take that stack of change you were sifting through? This means more of us will put aside our prejudice and visit more regularly in the hope of a win.

The Ethics

Did that title hit a nerve? Are you leaning forward for the big bombshell that destroys this good image? Actually, Pret is a very active business with a positive outlook. Most of the food is prepared fresh and nearby, while anything unsold is donated to homeless charities. They also promote charity campaigns on their graphics. Customer experience is very highly regarded- to the extent they have been criticised for forcing staff to make conversation. The staff are poorly paid but still above minimum wage with generous bonuses if mystery shoppers for that week rate the service as high. You know when someone you want to hate for being so good is just too… nice? Infuriating.

Itsu has yet to have inspired so much enquiry into its inside standards. In fact, the biggest media attention seems to be focussed on the fact Alexander Litvinenko dined their before he was poisoned with polonium. But since these fish haven’t grown three eyes this doesn’t seem a broadening trend. Instead, more people are growing aware that ‘eat beautiful’ can mean a lot of sugar and dowsing in salty soy sauce. But that is why it tastes so good.

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