[barrkel]

The only acceptable sandwich lunch is a burger, IMO. These days, even working from home, once a week I ride my motorbike to Netil market to get a burger from the Lucky Chip stall.

I don't understand how people can tolerate buying pre-prepared sandwiches from shops when street markets are an option, fresh hot tasty food cooked right in front of you.

[nemo44x]

I don’t always want hot food for lunch. Sandwiches are great. Pret sandwiches, although pre-made, are quite fresh. Their bread is good and the ingredients are fine. It’s sort of a “just in time” pre-made sandwich.

Definitely overpriced but you’re paying for the convenience too. A burger here are there for lunch is nice too.

[chiefalchemist]

It's like anything else: convenience, quickness, consistency, perception of cleanliness, habits of others around you, and so on.

If it's a group decision - and often enough it is - a place like Pret becomes the acceptable least common denominator. No one might love it, but more importantly no one probably hates it.

[barrkel]

I hate it, and I hate what it stands for. I mentally associaciate Pret with bankers, and I haven't forgetten about 2008.

I'm being facetious, but only just... I work in fintech, and I end up associating with a bunch of bankers, and I give those who still patronize Pret a bit of a hard time.

[chiefalchemist]

I'm not a fan either. But I recently read Jonah Berger's "Invisible Influence." Interesting stuff.

[ivanbakel]

Hot food is invariably more expensive than cold.

[barrkel]

Hot food is invariably more edible than cold...

I'm not so sure on the value front. There's a lot of meat on a typical £5-7 hot meal. You can't generally pay that much for a sandwich, and when you buy a cheaper one, it's miserly.

[bigbizisverywyz]

In the UK I think there's even a VAT rule that hot food must be taxed, but cold food isn't.

It could've changed, but that's what I remember.