Who owns Leon?

Its co-founder, again. Leon is owned by John Vincent, who started it in 2004, sold it in 2021 and bought it back from Asda in October 2025. He holds it through his own company, Febraro Limited. The price he paid was not disclosed.

Six weeks after the buyback, Leon went into administration. It came out in August 2026 after its creditors agreed a deal, with 23 restaurants closed and 43 left, 23 of them run by franchise partners.

What does the register show?

The restaurants are run by Leon Restaurants Limited, company number 05018441, incorporated on 19 January 2004 as Season Restaurants Limited and renamed Leon in 2007. Its persons-with-significant-control register names one owner from 31 October 2025: Febraro Limited, with 75% or more of the shares and votes and the right to appoint the directors.

Febraro Limited, company 16702883, was incorporated on 8 September 2025. Its only director and only person with significant control is John Vincent, with 75% or more. The chain stops there, at one named person. Vincent became a director of Leon Restaurants again on 31 October 2025.

The register still lists Leon Restaurants as in a voluntary arrangement, the creditors' deal described below.

How did Leon come to be owned this way?

Vincent founded Leon with Henry Dimbleby and Allegra McEvedy, opening on Carnaby Street in 2004. By 2021 most of it belonged to private equity: Active Partners and Spice Private Equity were both on its register, and Vincent held about 15%, Restaurant Online reported.

In April 2021 Leon was sold to EG Group, the petrol-forecourt company of the brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa, in a deal "worth up to £100m", and Vincent left. When Asda bought most of EG's UK business in October 2023, Leon went with it, World Coffee Portal reported.

In October 2025 Vincent bought it back; "the terms of the transaction were not disclosed", Restaurant Online reported.

What happened after the buyback?

On 10 December 2025 Leon went into administration, with a plan to close loss-making restaurants and come out through a company voluntary arrangement, The Caterer reported. The administrators reported losses of more than £60 million in the five years after EG's takeover, and 244 jobs lost, The Caterer reported in February 2026.

In May 2026 Leon confirmed 23 company-run sites had closed, and Vincent put in a further £2.5 million in loans, Restaurant Online reported. Creditors approved the voluntary arrangement on 27 May 2026, and the administration ended on 24 August 2026.

How big is Leon?

Leon's last filed accounts, for 2024, while it still belonged to Asda, show turnover of £62.5 million, down from £64.9 million, an operating loss of £6.5 million and a loss for the year of £8.4 million. It employed an average of 1,120 people and had 79 restaurants at the end of 2024: 50 of its own and 29 franchised. Accounts for 2025 are due by the end of 2026.

After the closures it has 43 restaurants, 20 run by Leon and 23 by franchise partners, according to the May 2026 reports.

Is Leon independent?

Not by our verified independent badge, which marks a locally and privately owned business rather than a chain, franchise or private-equity estate. Leon is now owned by one person rather than a fund or a supermarket, which is a real change, but it is still a chain of more than 40 restaurants, and more than half of them are franchises.

The useful label is restaurant chain, founder-owned again, part franchised. For other chains that started small in London, see who owns Pret a Manger and who owns Franco Manca.

For independent places to eat, owned by the people who run them, see our restaurants in Lincoln and restaurants in Hackney E8.

Questions people ask

Who owns Leon now?

John Vincent, its co-founder, through his company Febraro Limited. He bought it back from Asda in October 2025.

Does Asda still own Leon?

No. Asda owned it from October 2023, when it bought most of EG Group's UK business, until Vincent bought it back in October 2025.

Has Leon gone bust?

It went into administration in December 2025 but was not wound up. Its creditors approved a voluntary arrangement in May 2026, and it left administration in August 2026 with 43 restaurants.

Are Leon restaurants franchises?

Some are. Of the 43 restaurants reported in May 2026, 23 are run by franchise partners and 20 by Leon itself.

Last checked 16 October 2026. This article uses the Companies House records, persons-with-significant-control registers, officers lists, insolvency pages and filing histories of Leon Restaurants Limited (company 05018441) and Febraro Limited (16702883); Leon Restaurants' accounts for the year to 31 December 2024; and reports by Restaurant Online (19 April 2021, 3 November 2025 and 7 May 2026), World Coffee Portal (3 November 2023) and The Caterer (10 December 2025 and 13 February 2026). What is not claimed: the price Vincent paid; who lent against the charge registered in July 2026; the exact list of open restaurants today, since the latest count is from May 2026; and which operators run each franchised site. If you spot something that needs correcting, email Highstreett and we will review it.