Participation on the menu for success
Pret A Manger's rapidly expanding presence in Hong Kong is testament to a working recipe that already spans 120 employees locally and 5,000 worldwide.
"Our stores don't look uniform and it goes back to the fact that Pret doesn't have to be the same as everyone else," says Sarah Dempsey, operational development manager of Pret A Manger (Hong Kong). "It's also reflected in that we don't have a hierarchy. We have an open-door policy, and we are good at keeping everyone in the loop, from team members up."
According to Dempsey, this success not only lies with the appeal of freshly made sandwiches and baguettes, but also with three core behaviour characteristics that define its employees and gel staff members with each other and with customers.
"With regard to our recruitment, we look for personalities," says Dempsey. "The three importan