Pret A Manger has announced the appointment of Felipe Athayde as president of North America, as the company continues to expand its presence in what it describes as the 'largest food-to-go market' in the world.

Athayde joins Pret from Authentic Restaurant Brands (ARB), a platform of regional restaurant brands, where he served as CEO and helped grow the company from concept to more than $1 billion in sales and $150 million in EBITDA.

He also brings extensive experience in the quick-service restaurant industry, having spent nearly a decade at Restaurant Brands International. During this time, he held senior leadership roles, including president of Popeyes Americas, where he oversaw the launch of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. He has also served as president of Burger King Latin America and president of Tim Hortons USA.

Pano Christou, Pret's CEO, said: "We are proud to announce that we have appointed Felipe Athayde as president of North America to take the business forward on the next stage of its growth, in what is the largest food-to-go market in the world."

"We are excited to have Felipe's experience, passion and knowledge of our industry to help drive our North American team to continued success."

Athayde added: "I'm thrilled to be joining Pret and bringing my passion and industry experience to help drive the next chapter of growth in the North American market. I've known and loved Pret for many years, and with its freshly made food and organic coffee, the brand has a tremendous opportunity in North America. I'm excited to be part of it and look forward to working with Pret's talented team to share the brand experience with even more customers."