Following reports last week that the group was set to appoint administrators as part of plans to restructure the business and close up to 20 loss-making sites, Vincent says Leon is shifting out of unprofitable locations and cities such as Brighton and Manchester to concentrate on its owned stores – of which there are now 29 – in London.
Franchisees will continue to operate locations in, for example, motorway service stations around the country.
Once that shake-up has been achieved, Vincent expects to be back on the expansion trail with plans for as many as 100 UK outlets, mostly in the capital, over the next four years.
Overseas franchises and joint ventures in selected overseas cities are also on the cards.
It comes after Vincent reacquired the business, which he co-founded with friends Henry Dimbleby and Allegra McEvedy in 2004, four years after selling it to billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa, owners of petrol forecourt empire EG Group, for £100m in 2021.
As part of his plans to turnaround the business, which is understood to have lost as much as £10m in its most recent financial year, Vincent is also rapidly ditching some menu items he feels are not right, such as sandwiches, improving quality with better smoked salmon and thicker slices of halloumi, while inspiring managers to ensure their restaurants are spotlessly clean with rapid service.
The team is also developing a new menu to be relaunched in the spring, which aims to bring back old favourites such as the fish finger wrap, and new dishes aimed at reviving its healthy and tasty credentials at an affordable price.
Discussing his vision for Leon, Vincent says the brand must stand out from the crowd and ramp up sales if it wants to continue to exist.
“The average player in this market is going to go bankrupt,” he tells The Guardian. “The only winners in this space, ultimately will outstrip everyone else on revenue.”
He adds that the survival plan for Leon is to be ‘massively differentiated’.
“Leon has to be niche: it can’t be on every high street. We want to be the best food company in the world but don’t want to be the biggest.
“Every Leon should be magical. I want to be a beacon of what’s possible.”