Register to get 5 free articles
Reveal the article below by registering for our email newsletter.
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
Leon has called time on its US operations after just two years, announcing the closure of four sites in Washington DC and Virginia.
Having launched in the US in 2018 with plans to further extend throughout the country, pressures from the “continuing pandemic” have led the group to streamline its portfolio.
A message on the US website of the fast food chain founded in 2004 by David Vincent and Henry Dimbleby said that the company “will be forever grateful” for its time in DC and Virginia.
It added: “The continuing pandemic has taken its toll, as it has on everybody.
“We’re saying goodbye for now to focus on Leon in the UK and Europe, where our journey to create better fast food began 17 years ago.”
However, the closures may not represent a permanent exit from the US, with the statement adding that “we hope to be back in the future”.
Nick Ayerst, managing director at Leon, told MCA: “The impact It was a tough decision to exit the US after such a warm reception, closing all restaurants at the end of January 2021.
“We have an eye on a US re-entry in a calmer future but, for now, we are focused on strengthening our UK and European core through continuing to make fast food, good food.”
