Pret a Manger is set to open more than 200 UK shops over the next two years, after securing a further £100 million cash injection.
The sandwich and coffee chain was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic but said it has seen its city centre sites recover further in recent weeks as more workers head back to the office.
The company revealed that it plunged to pre-tax operating loss of £256.5 million for 2020, in new filings on Companies House.
Pret saw its revenues fall by 58 per cent to £299 million for the year, as it was forced to shut the shops for months and saw footfall significantly depressed by Covid.
It said its regional shops were now at their strongest ever levels while its London City sites had rebounded to 72 per cent of weekly pre-pandemic sales.
The company said it will look to continue the latest phase of its recovery strategy by investing to rapidly expand its shop estate.
It said that it has been backed by a new £100 million net investment by owner JAB Holdings and founder Sinclair Beecham.
Funding will be used to help the group double in size within five years, with 200 UK shops set to built in the next two years.
Chief executive officer Pano Christou told the PA news agency that the growth plan will see Pret target more transport hubs, motorway service stations and suburban areas.
Christou said the business is keen to open more stores in regional and suburban areas, as these have been strong recently.
He said they have kept an eye on the way trends have shifted since the pandemic and since areas such as service stations have been particularly busy they have partnered with Moto and Motor Fuel Group.
