Leon

I find the Leon story really sad. I remember when they opened up (around 2004?) and when they were building the brand, they used to serve delicious and generous meals that were value for money. The rustic aesthetic was charming and they had a clear concept of what their food should be - fresh, tasty, healthy. For instance, the chicken in aoli in a box was substantial with real pieces of chicken and delicious seeds and herbs in the rice.

Over the years, the brand has been glossed up and the chain extended. But the food has become a god-awful con. In the words of that great Jewish joke 'such terrible food and such small portions'. The price has ratcheted up and the boxes have shrunk. All the expensive ingredients have been substituted or removed. The chicken is now that horrible remoulded stuff that you see in slices at sandwich bars all over the capital. The expensive seeds and herbs have dwindled and been replaced by stacks of cheap peas. All the sauces taste like they are out of a vat.

Foolish people are easily parted from their cash because for them, image matters more than taste. The Leon's I see are always busy. It's a normal trajectory for a fast food chain, but where places like Wagamama's have succeeded is that they have scaled their business and controlled costs without too great a sacrifice in quality.