Pret A Manger, With New Fast-Food Ideas, Gains a Foothold in United States

Something weird is happening inside a Pret A Manger sandwich shop on Broadway in Midtown Manhattan.

It’s not all those quirky British sandwiches, thin and understated with ingredients like free-range egg mayonnaise and avocado-and-pine-nut filling.

No, it’s the employees. The cashier is asking New Yorkers how they are doing — and genuinely seems to want an answer. The guy who is throwing out the garbage offers customers a cup of water. The manager swings by to commiserate about the sweltering weather.

This is fast food? In Manhattan?

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