Pret A Manger in Toronto getting one-star reviews despite the initial hype
Pret A Manger's venture into Canada hasn't quite been living up to the hype thus far.
The cafe known for its coffee and sandwiches originated in London during the '80s with immense success.
They've since branched out to operate hundreds of locations in the UK and several more across the world in the US, Hong Kong, France, Germany and more.
They expanded to Canada on a two-year trial in 2022 to a ton of hype, but the new locations might not be nearly as popular as expected.
Some people have taken to Google reviews to warn that the pilot locations here in Toronto don't stack up to their international counterparts — and that's partly because they've set up shop in A&W's.
"If you’ve experienced Pret in the UK, you'll be severely disappointed," reads one review.
"[They have] a small, sad selection of sandwiches and salads, and if you're going for coffee, don’t bother. They only have drip, which I'm pretty sure is just the A&W coffee poured into a Pret cup. It tasted terrible, and I threw it out after 2 sips."
Another disgruntled customer echoed that sentiment.
"The food is mediocre and overpriced," they wrote.
"A bit disappointed as it [is] inside A&W ... not many selections compared to London. They even don't have their own coffee stall, so if you want coffee [it] means that it's from A&W."
If the negative reviews are any indication, Toronto's Pret A Manger locations may not make it past their two-year trial phase.
Kris Pangilinan
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