Staff employed by Pret A Manger will each receive a £1,000 windfall amid news the firm will be sold to a company controlled by a family of German billionaires.
A majority stake in the British sandwich shop chain, owned by private equity firm Bridgepoint, will be offloaded to JAB, the firms announced on Tuesday.
Clive Schlee, CEO at Pret A Manger, said: “The £1,000 bonus will be paid to all employees who are on the payroll during the week the deal completes. It’s serendipity for those who have just joined.”
Staff at the company’s Tottenham Court Road branch told HuffPost UK what they were going to spend their bonus on.
“I'm taking my three kids on holiday to Nice for a week.”
- Bibiana Henad, 36
“I might re-take my A-levels. I really want to go to uni to study psychology but I'll need to get the right A-levels first. I want to take psychology, chemistry and biology.”
- Jessica Christian, 19
“I haven't really had time to think about it, I only found out on my break just now but I'lll probably take my girlfriend on holiday.”
- Carlos Anchundia, 36
Luxembourg-headquartered JAB is the investment vehicle of Germany’s wealthy Reimann family.
The Financial Times earlier reported that the price paid by JAB was £1.5 billion, including debt.