Westwood’s Pret A Manger successfully draws in students with fresh food, drinks

Pret A Manger’s storefront sign in Westwood. Pret opened their first Los Angeles location in Westwood this May. (Zimo Li/Photo editor)
By Zoya Alam
July 2, 2024 4:49 p.m.
This post was updated Aug. 3 at 5:50 p.m.
At the corner of Westwood Boulevard and Le Conte Avenue is a brand new coffee shop, bustling with activity from UCLA students and Westwood community members alike.
Pret A Manger, also known as Pret, opened its first location in Los Angeles in early May. Originally founded in London, the international chain serves organic coffee, drinks, pastries and fresh food, including sandwiches and soups.
Pret’s Westwood Assistant General Manager Daniel Paez said Pret’s food is made and sold within the same day.
“We try to guarantee the freshness,” Paez said.
Since Pret makes its food fresh every day, its unsold food is donated to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine via The Pret Foundation, Pret’s global charity benefiting various food banks and food shelters.
Prathiba Reddy, a team worker at Pret Westwood, is in charge of working at the cash register, organizing food and brewing coffee, as well as “clearing out” food.
In the clearing out process, employees, every three hours, remove some food from the fridges to donate to their foundation and restock them with freshly made goods.
Reddy says Pret is most famous for its hot chocolate and croissants.
[Related: United Kingdom-based Pret A Manger coffee shop opens Westwood location]
Lucineh Kehkejian, a rising third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, said she not only enjoyed Pret’s coffee but also appreciated its location in Westwood Village, noting that its location nearby UCLA is convenient for students like herself. Pret is located 0.8 miles away from Royce Hall.
“This is so convenient since my lab (The Stein Institute) is right across the street. I can come study here,” Kehkejian said. “There are charging cords, they have Wi-Fi – it’s so convenient and so cute inside.”
Mari Meneses, a rising fourth-year biology student, added that they believe compared to other stores, prices at Pret were reasonable.
Meneses also said Pret staff were very hospitable and prioritized their customers’ experiences.
Management at Pret Westwood is currently working to set up their monthly coffee pass and Pret Perks, a reward system where buyers can earn points for every purchase, Reddy said. These programs should be ready for students to use before the start of the upcoming school year, Reddy said.
Pret Westwood is also working on adding more options to its menu, she added.
The opening of Pret brought back memories for many who were familiar with the UK-based brand.
Courtney Blue, a doctoral student, lived in London while taking a summer course at Oxford and was a frequent visitor to London’s Pret locations. She added that she was happy to see that Pret was available in Westwood because it allowed her to reminisce on her time in London.
“I saw it (Pret) opening up, and I was so excited,” said Blue. “I have really good memories of spending time in these coffee shops in London.”