Design consultancies develop interiors for growing Leon ‘family’

Leon, an upmarket healthy fast food restaurant, is trialling larger retail formats, eschewing identikit interior concepts in favour of site-specific designs, as the company prepares to roll the chain out across the UK as part of a £2.8m expansion plan.


Landini Associates has been commissioned to help design the next three sites for Leon and develop a ‘family’ of interior ideas to work across the brand, says Stephen Cribbett, managing partner at Landini Associates.


Leon is a fictional character who lives in the Mediterranean and the restaurant chain will develop around the ‘life’ of Leon, explains Cribbett. ‘For example, Leon’s cousin could run a restaurant. We’ll move away from the single brand format and create a family of concepts which will all tell a different story,’ he says.


Leon opened its second restaurant in London’s Ludgate Circus this week. The site is three times the size of the company’s flagship restaurant in Carnaby Street.


Landini was tasked with specifically looking at ways to improve customer navigation and circulation through the restaurant. Interior designer Bambi Sloan sourced artefacts and images for the site.


Dave is developing the graphics and Wally Olins is ‘advising’ on design principles behind the brand.


Leon was co-founded by John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby. Backers include former BBC chairman Gavyn Davies and Ian Neill, chief executive of Wagamama.

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