Photo/Terence Ong

If you've spent time in London, it's likely you've eaten a sandwich at Pret a Manger. The chain, which opened in 1986, is omnipresent. Once its convenience sucks you in, you wonder: Why don't we have this in Boston? The stores are clean and pleasant. Food is made with natural and "ethically sourced" ingredients. What's not sold by the end of the day is donated to charitable organizations. And the terribly British sandwiches -- mature cheddar with pickle, king prawn cocktail, coronation chicken and fruit chutney -- are tastier than most fast food options. (Whether they're particularly healthy is up for debate.) Pret a Manger also sells salads, soups, breakfast items, and more.

Pret has established a presence in New York, D.C., and Chicago. (Sadly, the US menu is different from the British one.) The company is growing quickly. This year, it just announced, it has 14 more shops planned for the US. At least one of them will be in Boston. The location has not yet been released. Now if only they'd offer mature cheddar and pickle sandwiches...