Former Burger King Chief Executive Joins the Board of LEON

Blum will help LEON develop its offering in the UK and lead future expansion in the U.S.

“Our vision is to make it easy for everyone to eat good food”

Blum is one of the most respected figures in the U.S. restaurant industry. He produced dramatic growth and cultural change as chief executive of Olive Garden, and orchestrated a major turnaround of Burger King, in each instance significantly increasing profits. Since he left Burger King, Blum has founded his own business, BLUM Enterprises, whose mission is to “provide good food for the planet” – food that is exceptionally good tasting, really good for you, you feel good after you eat it, it’s a good value, and good for the environment. It is these shared values, his friendship with LEON co-founder John Vincent, and a love for LEON’S delicious food, that attracted him to this opportunity.

LEON also announced its first franchise deal, with a view to making franchising a key part of its business. LEON has signed a long-term partnership with HMSHost, who specialise in operating transport locations. HMSHost will be opening LEON restaurants in the new Kings Cross Train Station development and Heathrow Airport.

“John Vincent and I have a deep, abiding passion for providing “Good Food for the Planet,” said Brad Blum. “On top of that, John and I have become very close friends and business colleagues over the past year. I love what John and Henry have created at LEON and look forward to working more closely with each of them, the Board, and the management team, all of whom I have already spent quality time with in a number of their 11 restaurants. I believe LEON deserves to be a big global force for good”.

“Our vision is to make it easy for everyone to eat good food,” said Vincent. “Brad’s mission is to provide ‘good food for the planet’, so this is a meeting of the minds. Brad and I have developed a strong relationship across the last year and the company is so excited about the opportunity to work formally with him.”

“We believe that there will be a few global players who will succeed in serving good fast food,” said Henry Dimbleby, co-founder & CEO. “Our ambition is to be one of them. Brad not only shares our food values, but has an awful lot that he can teach us as we build LEON into what we know it can become.”

If you would like to interview Brad Blum, John Vincent or Henry Dimbleby, please email John@Leonrestaurants.co.uk or call 07785 543 180.

Background Information

LEON opened its first outlet in Carnaby Street in 2004 and was swiftly named best new restaurant in the UK by the Observer Food Monthly. Its mission was to make it easy for everyone to eat good food, by revolutionising fast food. They have an ambition to bring over 150 restaurants to the UK and to establish an international chain.

LEON was founded by business consultant John Vincent, former chef Henry Dimbleby – son of cookery writer Josceline – and chef and food writer Allegra McEvedy, former chef at River Café and Robert De Niro’s TriBeCa, New York. Together they spotted a gap in the market, and remain committed to changing the common negative perception that fast food must mean unhealthy food. LEON combines the speed and modest pricing of a fast food outlet with high-quality, flavour-packed food.

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