Leon reveals plans for first drive thru following EG Group deal

Leon has unveiled plans for its first drive thru with many more in its pipeline of openings for this year.

Its debut drive thru restaurant will open in West Yorkshire and follows the healthy fast-food chain’s acquisition by roadside retail giant EG Group in April this year.

The 2,000 sq ft site, due to open in the autumn, will feature 50 covers and have sustainability at its heart.

The restaurant will be supplied with power from 100% renewable energy and will incorporate solar panels on the roof. The group is also planning to install a wind turbine that will generate additional sustainable power.

Nick Ayerst, managing director, Leon, said: “This is a significant milestone for Leon. We’ve been discussing the first Leon drive thru with EG Group for five years now, and we’re excited to open in West Yorkshire later this year

“We receive lots of emails and tweets every week asking us to open even more restaurants in the north, and we hope this opening signifies that there are many more to come.”

The new drive-thru site will operate as a digital-first restaurant with kiosks for ordering and payment that will feature shopper recognition technology to recognise those customers already signed up to its ‘smart online’ online ordering platform.

The menu will include many of Leon’s current favourite dishes such as its grilled wraps, gluten-free chicken nuggets and carbon neutral burgers, but other product innovations will also be launched at the West Yorkshire site. It will have more of a focus on family eating including an expanded children’s menu.

Mohsin Issa CBE and Zuber Issa CBE, co-founders and co-CEOs, EG Group, said: “This is the first of many new, strategic openings for the Leon brand under EG ownership. Opening a Leon drive thru concept is a landmark moment for the brand, creating a fantastic opportunity to bring Leon’s naturally fast food to even more people.

“Our investment in Leon, together with our unparalleled operational experience of drive thrus and access to high-quality roadside locations through our forecourts, creates new opportunities for the company and a strong platform to deliver significant growth.”