The first branch of UK-based fast-food and coffee chain Pret A Manger is set to open at the Tel Aviv Port by the end of the year despite pressure put on the chain's management including a threat of boycott by pro-Palestinians.
The location for a second branch has already been decided, in a new shopping center north of Tel Aviv, which will open next September.
The chain also plans to establish sales points in office towers and, according to insiders, "there's a queue" for their opening. Harel Wizel, an Israeli businessman owner of the Fox clothing brand, has bought the local franchise in collaboration with brother restauranteurs Ari and Yoram Yerzin.
In the tender, Fox committed to establishing 40 branches across the country in the coming years with an investment of 36 million shekels. Wizel's entry into the restaurant industry marks a new field for him and is intended to "diversify risks" and expand business ventures in order to diversify the group’s business portfolio.
The chain is well known to Israelis living in London, where branches can be found on nearly any street corner. The chain specializes in refrigerated packaged sandwiches, salads, coffee, and pastries made from fresh and natural ingredients, all offered at reasonable prices and mainly designed for takeaway (TO GO). It operates 446 branches across the UK and another 150 branches worldwide.