Brighton’s Leon Restaurant Closes as Chain Enters Administration

A Brighton branch of the “naturally fast food” chain Leon has closed its doors without warning.

The North Street restaurant, which opened in September 2016, was found shut this week with its windows covered and signage removed.

The closure comes as Leon announced it will be shutting a number of sites after appointing administrators Quantuma to lead a major restructuring of the business.

An initial review, the company said, highlighted the need to reduce “loss-making restaurants”, and job cuts are expected as part of the process.

Leon, founded in 2004 by John Vincent, Henry Dimbleby and Allegra McEvedy, currently operates 44 company-owned and 22 franchised restaurants across the UK.

It remains unclear how many locations will close or how many staff will be affected.

The announcement follows the recent return of co-founder John Vincent, who bought the business back nearly two months ago after previous ownership changes.

The chain was acquired by EG Group in 2021 before becoming part of Asda in 2023.

Leon says it has faced a mixture of “internal challenges”, shifting commuter habits since the pandemic and an “unsustainable” tax burden within the hospitality sector.

Mr Vincent said the brand had “drifted from its values” under previous ownership but added that many food businesses are struggling in the current climate.

To support staff impacted by closures, Leon has launched a programme that will first try to move employees to other Leon sites.

Those unable to relocate will receive redundancy pay, and the company has partnered with Pret A Manger to offer a dedicated application route for affected workers.

Leon’s grocery products – sold in supermarkets – will not be impacted by the restructuring.