Leon was founded by
John Vincent and
Henry Dimbleby with chef
Allegra McEvedy. The business was named after Vincent's father, and opened its first outlet in
Carnaby Street in 2004. Vincent has said that the founders' original mission was to make seasonal, high-quality fast food available to everyone. Six months after opening, Leon was named the "Best New Restaurant in Great Britain" at
The Observer Food Monthly Awards. In March 2009, McEvedy gave up her role at Leon to focus on writing and television work, but remains a shareholder. In 2014, John Vincent took over from Henry Dimbleby as CEO, and Dimbleby then left the board in 2017. He also remains a shareholder. By 2015 Leon had 57 restaurants. In January 2015,
HMSHost operated six Leon locations in airports and railway stations in southern England, and Leon announced an expansion of its relationship with HMSHost in 2018, including a franchise agreement in airports and railway stations across Europe and the Middle East. The company hoped to reach an international clientele through these outlets, and help create demand ahead of further overseas openings. In June 2016 the first Leon outside England opened in
Amsterdam. Other overseas openings followed, including restaurants at Utrecht, Oslo, Gran Canaria, Dublin, and Leon's first restaurant in the United States, in
Washington, D.C. The latter's style was described as "
fast-casual Mediterranean" in the local press. The chain was named in the 2017
The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list. Leon was backed by Active Private Equity and, in May 2017, Spice Private Equity became a major investor to support further global expansion plans. By 2018, the company had 61 sites. In the first quarter of 2019, 53% of the chain's food sales were plant-based or vegetarian. Other
restaurant chains became involved, including
Franco Manca,
Tortilla, Tossed, and
Wasabi. A
JustGiving page was created to raise funds. Leon USA Inc. filed for liquidation in February 2021, citing low customer numbers because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It had three outlets in Washington and a fourth nearby in
Fairfax, Virginia. At that time, Leon had 71 outlets, of which 42 were operated by the company; the other 29 were franchises at transport hubs, in the UK and five other European countries. In an October 2023 restructuring, EG Group sold most of its UK operations – including Leon – to Asda. In October 2025, Dimbleby criticised Asda's ownership of Leon, saying that it could possibly destroy the brand.
John Vincent ownership (2025–) In October 2025 John Vincent bought Leon back from Asda in a self-funded, debt-free deal for a price thought to be between £30m and £50m, less than the £100m he had sold it for. In December 2025, citing losses and the challenges of changing work patterns, Vincent announced a major restructure of the chain with the closure of 20 of its restaurants, with the company entering administration shortly after. ==Corporate affairs==