Pret A Manger is cutting 2,800 jobs due to the economic downturn caused by coronavirus.
The popular cafe chain said its sales are down to levels around what they were 10 years ago.
It follows the announcement that 30 Pret shops across the UK will close permanently.
CEO Pano Christou said: “I’m gutted that we’ve had to lose so many colleagues.
“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 that trade is improving again, and I’m encouraged by the improvements we’re seeing every week.”