Leon, the Active Partners-backed, healthy, fast-food brand, has appointed its long-term operations director Glenn Edwards to oversee its launch in the US, MCA has learnt.
Edwards, who has been with the company since March 2011, will become the c50-strong brand’s managing director for the US, with the first site in the new venture expected to open next year in Washington DC. Orlando has also been previously mooted as a possible target location.
Edwards was previously head of operations at Itsu for 11 years.
The group has had its eye on the US for a number of years. In 2012, Brad Blum, the former chief executive of Burger King and Olive Garden Italian Restaurants, joined its board as an investor, non-executive director, and strategic partner.
Co-founder John Vincent is very aware that he will need to reset and that for the US will need the company to tap into a start-up culture.
He told MCA: “I need to remember some of the founder’s mentality, not to take it for granted, remember it is a start-up and that people there will not know Leon and not care about us there. I need to do in the US what we did 13 years ago here, in Carnaby Street. We have an amazing set of advisers in the US, but it is definitely an opportunity and not a right. We definitely don’t see it as a right to be successful. We will inevitably make mistakes.”
Leon is set to further strengthen its central London estate with an opening in Westminster.
The company, which recently opened its third site in Holland, in Utrecht, has secured the unit at 25-27 Horseferry Road.
MCA understands that the company is also hoping to take space at the Centre: MK on Sunset Walk.
