Leon, the fast-food chain, could become a common fixture in Asda stores after the supermarket confirmed it had acquired the brand’s owner EG Group UK.
Believing the opening of Leon restaurants within its supermarkets will help pave the way into the food service industry, Asda confirmed its interest in the strategy, having previously explored strategies with the EG Group-owned brand.
Last year, Asda confirmed it would be selling Leon coffee beans, cookbooks, and various sauces as part of a wider expansion of the brand.
Additionally, hundreds of Leon coffee kiosks were introduced across EG Group’s petrol forecourts, providing drivers with the chance to stock up on the restaurant's warm drinks.
Leon was acquired by EG Group back in 2021 for around £100 million.
Both Asda and EG Group, the petrol forecourt operator, are owned by the billionaire Issa brothers and British private equity firm TDR Capital, but until November the two companies operated separately.
Now, Asda, after paying its sister company £2 billion, owns EG Group’s UK business, which includes more than 460 Greggs, Burger King, and Subway franchises across the country, many of which can be found in service stations and EG forecourts.