Leon, a well-known healthy fast food chain, has closed its Bath restaurant on Stall Street as part of a wider company restructuring affecting 20 locations nationwide. The Bath branch, which opened in 2022, operated in a space previously occupied by the toy retailer Hawkins Bazaar until 2020.
A spokesperson for the Bath location expressed sadness about the closure but left hope for future visits to other Leon outlets: “Sadly, we’ve now closed Leon Bath. Even though we’re sad to close our doors here, we hope this isn’t a ‘goodbye’ but a ‘see you soon’ in one of our other Leon restaurants.”
The closure has disappointed many local customers. One Reddit user described Leon as their “cheap reliable central option,” and a parent commented that it was “literally the best place to take kids for lunch in town.” Despite its relatively short operation, the branch received generally positive feedback with an average 4.1-star rating from 145 Google reviews.
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Leon was founded in 2004 by John Vincent, Henry Dimbleby, and Allegra McEvedy, focusing on nutritious fast food options. Earlier this month, the company hired advisers from Quantuma and applied for an administration order. This move is part of a broader plan to implement a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) aimed at restructuring and ensuring the brand’s sustainability.
An initial review revealed the need to close loss-making restaurants to streamline operations. Leon and Quantuma are currently in talks with landlords to discuss future options and aim to emerge as a smaller, more focused business.
Co-founder John Vincent, who repurchased Leon from Asda after a period of ownership by EG Group and Asda, noted that the company had “drifted from its values” under previous owners. He pointed to pandemic-related changes in commuter habits, internal challenges, and tax increases as significant pressures faced by the chain.
To support employees affected by the closures, Leon has initiated a programme to help staff find roles in other stores or provide redundancy payments if relocation isn’t feasible. They have also partnered with Pret A Manger to offer affected employees a dedicated job application channel.
Leon’s grocery product line remains unaffected by these changes and will continue as usual.