While we're all stuck in the middle of a pandemic, there are some places that are fortunate enough to be reopening their doors — Pret a Manger included. Pret a Manger has been reopening their doors since April 28th, 2020. When Pret a Manger reopens, that means that there's one more place for people to get food during a pandemic, but I completely understand that not everyone can afford to eat out during this time of need. On that note, here's what else you need to know in terms of news from Pret a Manger.
The details
Pret a Manger closed its doors to their 86 locations nationwide on March 17th. However, on April 28th, they've started to reopen some of their New York City locations. These locations will "serve the majority of Manhattan from 8:30 am-3:00 pm to allow for take-out and 10:00 – 3:00 for delivery via an exclusive partnership with Grubhub/Seamless. This will be the first wave of store re-openings." The four New York City locations that reopened on April 28th are 179 Broadway (delivery only), Union Square, 116th & Broadway, and 70th & York.
On May 12th, however, Pret a Manger has reopened more of their locations, which include Penn Station, 2 Penn Plaza, Lower Level, Hudson & Charlton, 350 Hudson St, 41st & Sixth, 1071 6th Avenue, 56th & Broadway, 1756 Broadway, 53rd & Third, 880 3rd Ave, 46th & Eighth, 750 8th Avenue, and Metrotech, 2 MetroTech Center.
As of this week, however, Pret a Manger now has two additional locations that are open, which include 32nd and Park, 2 Park Avenue, and Central Park South, 100 Central Park South.
During this entire pandemic, Pret a Manger has launched something called “Pret Groceries," which is "an on-demand delivery/pick-up service through Seamless that allows New Yorkers to shop for grocery essentials without the inconvenience and difficulty of securing a set delivery window. Customers can select their favorite Pret ingredients for delivery or take-out, including select whole produce, multi-grain honey wheat & gluten-free breads, Pret’s Granola, Oats, quart-sized soups, organic coffee & tea, and various milk products (whole, skim, half & half, oat and almond), and packs of their freshly baked cookies that will be delivered to their door within the hour." Given the fact that lines for supermarkets are insane inside and outside, having groceries delivered to your place might be the next best thing to consider during these trying times.
Also during this pandemic, just a few days ago on May 12th, Pret a Manger launched "Pret at Home range catering" to families. When it comes to offerings, "the offerings include family meals, which consist of platter-sized salads, 32oz soups, French baguettes, and brownie bites. Pret lovers will also be able to order make your own lunch kits and “themed” snack boxes from the site. These kits will include things like a ‘Make Your Own Avocado Tartines’ kit, Pret’s ‘Feel Good’ Juice & Snack Box, and Pret’s Movie Night Treat Box. Pret At Home will be available for pick-up and delivery through delivery.pret.com and all Pret at Home orders qualify for free delivery through May." This saves families from having to cook, and needless to say, this would be a godsend for my own mother cause I know sure well as to how much she hates cooking.
When Pret a Manger reopens all of its stores, I'm sure that they'll all be utilizing safety precautions and requiring some sort of face maskings. Of course, this is going to take a while, but someday, we'll return to the old normal and reminiscence on how things used to be.