Leon to open 'first of many' drive-through restaurants

Leon is to open its first drive-through restaurant following its sale to petrol station giant EG Group.

The healthy fast food brand, which trades from more than 70 restaurants, was bought by the billionaire Issa brothers behind EG Group in April.

Leon's debut drive-through will launch in West Yorkshire this autumn with space for 50 eat-in diners, creating 30 jobs.

EG Group already said it is aiming to open around 20 new Leon sites per year from 2022 and is planning multiple drive-through locations.

Nick Ayerst, managing director at Leon, said: "We've been discussing the first Leon Drive-Thru with EG Group for five years now, and we're excited to open in West Yorkshire later this year.

"We receive lots of emails and tweets every week asking us to open even more restaurants in the north, and we hope this opening signifies that there are many more to come."

The restaurant will be powered by renewable energy with solar panels on the roof and there are plans to install a wind turbine. It will offer electric vehicle charging and bike racks to encourage ‘cycle-through' guests.

New menu items are set to be unveiled at the West Yorkshire store, with a focus on family eating and an expanded children's menu.

The Issas said in a joint statement: "This is the first of many new, strategic openings for the Leon brand under EG ownership.

"Our investment in Leon, together with our unparalleled operational experience of drive-thrus and access to high-quality roadside locations through our forecourts, creates new opportunities for the company and a strong platform to deliver significant growth."

The Issas bought supermarket chain Asda for £6.8b this year and also own the Stanley House Hotel & Spa in Lancashire. They made an unsuccessful bid to take over Caffe Nero last year.