PRET a Manger has axed 2,800 jobs.
Chief executive Pano Christou said the coronavirus pandemic "has taken away almost a decade of growth".
"I'm gutted that we've had to lose so many colleagues," he said.
"Although we're now starting to see a steady but slow recovery, the pandemic has taken away almost a decade of growth at Pret.
"We've managed to protect many jobs by making changes to the way we run our shops and the hours we ask team members to work.
"I'm hopeful we'll be able to review all these changes now trade is improving again, and I'm encouraged by the improvements we're seeing.
"We'll soon be announcing a number of big changes to help bring Pret to more people. We're grateful to the Government for the support they've given."
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