Issa brother buys Leon

Bradford-based Moshin and Zuber Issa, billionaire Asda owner buy 70 Leon restaurants across UK and Europe, for 100m.

The brothers’ petrol forecourt business EG Group also owns Asda.

Leon’s CEO John Vincent who co-founded the chain with Henry Dimbleby and Chef Allegra McEvedy with a brand focused on creating healthy fast food in 2004, described a “ say day” but said it has got to know the Issa brothers over the last few years. Although the brothers are from Blackburn, their parent Vali and Zubeda initially lived in Bradford after moving to UK from Gujarat in India during the 1970s to work in the textile industry.

EC Group said it plans to open 20 new Leon site a year from 2022, as the group already operated more than 700 food outlets in the UK and Ireland including branches for Starbucks, KFC, Burger King, Greggs and Subway. Issa brothers completed their £6.8bn acquisition of Asda in February though the deal still needs to secure approval from UK competition regulators. Their last-minute takeover of Caffe Nero last November was rejected.