Said Takhamt has left Pret A Manger to join Itsu as its new director of development, M&C Report understands.
Takhamt joins Itsu after 11 years at Pret A Manger, including most recently two years as head of operations for the UK & International Support.
Last month, the company appointed Cameron Roberts, formerly a partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and who has a background in retail, as its new chief executive as it gears up for further expansion across the UK and looks to enter the US market.
Roberts replaced previous chief executive Gerard Loughran.
Itsu opened its second site outside Greater London, and its 51st overall, in Brighton, last month.
The company will open its next site at 32-33 The Strand next month.
In August, Metcalfe told M&C Report that Itsu has the potential to increase its UK estate 10-fold and reach 500 sites. He said the group had another 30 sites in its pipeline.
He also gave more details about his plans to launch the brand in the US, naming New York and California as possible locations with openings starting “as early as 2016”.
