End of the Roast: Leon Scraps Popular Coffee Subscription
The coffee chain Leon, which operates 70 sites across the UK, is axing its highly-praised Roast Rewards subscription service. The scheme, which cost £25 a month, had been labelled Britain's best coffee subscription and allowed members to claim up to five free coffees daily, provided drinks were at least an hour apart.
Barista Strain and a Founder's Return
The decision to scrap the service, which will officially end on January 1, was driven by operational difficulties. According to reports in The Telegraph, baristas were unable to keep up with the volume of drinks they were required to make under the popular scheme.
The move was announced by the chain's founder, John Vincent, who recently returned to the company after selling it in May 2021. In an email to loyal supporters, Vincent stated that he found the company had changed, and not all changes were positive. He wrote that the subscription was "getting in the way" of his mission to return Leon to being a leader in food and to re-establish quality as the top priority.
The 108 Initiative and Martial Arts Training
A company spokesman elaborated that Leon would be "letting go of processes that make daily operations more difficult for its teams." The removal of Roast Rewards is part of Vincent's '108 initiative', which symbolises balance and wholeness.
In a surprising move, the firm claimed that staff would be enrolled in Wing Tsun martial art training, with the aim of improving coffee-making times while simultaneously lowering heart rates. All current Roast Rewards subscribers will receive a gift of Leon Club loyalty points when the subscription is terminated.
The news was met with dismay by subscribers online, with one user on X summarising the feeling with a simple: "Noooooooooooooo!" The service had also offered members a 20% discount on food, and in 2024, Telegraph journalist Josh Kirby had praised it as far superior to Pret's now-defunct subscription, highlighting the ability to get a free meal with a small spend.
