Leon is to emerge from administration after receiving support from 100% of the creditors who voted as part of its Company Voluntary Arrangement.
The successful CVA vote will enable the healthy fast food chain to exit administration with a total of 43 restaurants, including 23 franchises.
“I am so grateful to all our landlords and other creditors who have shown us such strong support in recent months,” said Leon co-founder and owner John Vincent. ”With their backing we now have the opportunity, as well as the responsibility, to get Leon back to its best and to help people eat and live well every day.
“I would also like to thank all my colleagues for working extremely hard during the same period to stabilise the business and restore some of its old verve. And finally, I would like to thank all our Leon customers, who were so patient when the business was in the wilderness and are now back in our restaurants and cheering us on.”
The healthy fast food chain first appointed administrators in December, two months after Vincent purchased Leon back from Asda, to “lay out options for the future of the company”.
Under a restructuring, Leon confirmed earlier this month that 23 company-owned restaurants had closed. Meanwhile, Vincent unveiled plans to invest a further £2.5m in loans into the business to secure its finances.
Vincent has also vowed to return Leon back to its roots, as a restaurant chain known for healthy food.
Last month, the company began a programme of bringing back menu items that “helped build the reputation of the brand in the first place”, such as the Fish Finger Wrap, Grilled Chicken Rice Boxes and the Superfood Salad.
Speaking of Leon’s plans, Vincent said: “In 2004 we wanted to help people fall back in love with fast food that tastes good and does you good. We were the pioneers in gut health, anti-inflammatory ingredients, in extolling the role of good fats and warning of the dangers of sugar and ultra-processed food.
”Across the next months and years, you will see us reassert that leadership, and serve the many people who know how good food can help them feel good and perform better.”
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