Is fast-food chain Leon planning to open one of its restaurants in Harrogate?
The company, which describes itself as a place for healthy fast food, has about 70 outlets in the UK.
It was recently bought by Euro Garages group, which was awarded planning permission last year to open a drive-thru Starbucks on Wetherby Road.
Rumours have been circulating online that the group could prefer to open a Leon at the site.
The rumours were fuelled when a job advert for a general manager for a Leon restaurant in Harrogate was posted in November.
The Stray Ferret asked Euro Garages, which bought the chain last year for a reported £100 million, if it could confirm whether a Leon would be opening at the Wetherby Road site instead of a Starbucks.
However, a spokesperson would not be drawn on the issue.
Leon set for drive-thru expansion
Euro Garages has permission to open a Starbucks drive-thru on the former dental surgery site.
Work is already underway on Wetherby Road and the surgery has since been demolished.
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Although the company had earmarked the land for a Starbucks, it also has plans to expand Leon.
In December, Leon announced that following the takeover from Euro Garages it intended to open 50 more restaurants across the UK.
The fast food chain recently opened its first drive-thru in Leeds and opened new sites in Milton Keynes and Holtspur in Beaconsfield.
Speaking in December, Glenn Edwards, managing director of Leon restaurants, said:
“We are very excited to announce a significant acceleration of Leon’s expansion. For the first time we will be taking Leon across the country, driving regional growth at speed. The new formats in this rollout will build on our traditional restaurants and form a base for further growth.
“Making Leon even more accessible is at the heart of this strategic expansion. We are absolutely focused on delivering for our clients and living up to Leon mission – making it easier for everybody to eat well, live well and be kind to the planet.”
