Little Chef to close 67 restaurants.
Discussion
67 out of 161.
Not a surprise really, they had the opportunity for revival following the Heston experiment, but they just didn't implement it fast enough nor wide enough. Clearly the site refurbishments would require capital expenditure and the cash flow probably wouldn't support it, but absolutely NO EXCUSE for not sorting the menu and the food out.
Wonder if OK Diner will take over a few sites?
Not a surprise really, they had the opportunity for revival following the Heston experiment, but they just didn't implement it fast enough nor wide enough. Clearly the site refurbishments would require capital expenditure and the cash flow probably wouldn't support it, but absolutely NO EXCUSE for not sorting the menu and the food out.
Wonder if OK Diner will take over a few sites?
jmorgan said:
All Heston had to do was get prompt service sorted out, when ever I saw a single car in the car park I knew they had a rush on. Sod the fancy cooking,
Pity really, may were in the right spot to get a quick bite on a long journey.
True, I tried the popham one and just thought 'rip off'. They should get over to the US and look at the diners chains there. Cheap with good service. Pity really, may were in the right spot to get a quick bite on a long journey.
A classic example of a business that has outlasted its marketability.
The writing has been on the wall for years.
Sadly a number have been closed following armed robberies. Putting in security staff ruins the margins and without such staff two or three women on their own are an easy target for the pond life that carry out such criminality.
Little Chef never really got to grips with the healthy eating now required by a lot of car drivers.
Simply outlasted their useful life.
I think the ones next to Travelodges will survive though they may be rebranded as a new concept.
The writing has been on the wall for years.
Sadly a number have been closed following armed robberies. Putting in security staff ruins the margins and without such staff two or three women on their own are an easy target for the pond life that carry out such criminality.
Little Chef never really got to grips with the healthy eating now required by a lot of car drivers.
Simply outlasted their useful life.
I think the ones next to Travelodges will survive though they may be rebranded as a new concept.
I was recently at the one on the A38 (Barton-under-Needwood) and the one on the A14 (Huntingdon). In my defence, it was at the behest of my fellow travellers.
In both cases, f
k me, it was grim. The A14 was particular awful.
The breakfast was passable, but not a tenner's worth of passable. The coffee was pish. The service was, at the very best, disinterested.
Thankfully, someone else was paying.
I had lunch at the OK Diner near Newark (A1 n/b) on the way home yesterday. As always, it was superb.
I hope OK Diner stay well clear.
In both cases, f
k me, it was grim. The A14 was particular awful.The breakfast was passable, but not a tenner's worth of passable. The coffee was pish. The service was, at the very best, disinterested.
Thankfully, someone else was paying.
I had lunch at the OK Diner near Newark (A1 n/b) on the way home yesterday. As always, it was superb.
I hope OK Diner stay well clear.
I've eaten in a couple of Little Chefs in the last 12 months and they were OK even though they hadn't been given the Heston make over.
67 is a heck of a lot of restaurants to offload, no doubt Subway will probably take a few. They opened up in a former Little Chef just down the road from us and it does do a roaring trade.
67 is a heck of a lot of restaurants to offload, no doubt Subway will probably take a few. They opened up in a former Little Chef just down the road from us and it does do a roaring trade.
CommanderJameson said:
I was recently at the one on the A38 (Barton-under-Needwood) and the one on the A14 (Huntingdon). In my defence, it was at the behest of my fellow travellers.
In both cases, fk me, it was grim. The A14 was particular awful.
The breakfast was passable, but not a tenner's worth of passable. The coffee was pish. The service was, at the very best, disinterested.
Thankfully, someone else was paying.
I had lunch at the OK Diner near Newark (A1 n/b) on the way home yesterday. As always, it was superb.
I hope OK Diner stay well clear.
The non-Heston ones are abysmal.In both cases, f
k me, it was grim. The A14 was particular awful.The breakfast was passable, but not a tenner's worth of passable. The coffee was pish. The service was, at the very best, disinterested.
Thankfully, someone else was paying.
I had lunch at the OK Diner near Newark (A1 n/b) on the way home yesterday. As always, it was superb.
I hope OK Diner stay well clear.
CommanderJameson said:
I was recently at the one on the A38 (Barton-under-Needwood) and the one on the A14 (Huntingdon). In my defence, it was at the behest of my fellow travellers.
In both cases, fk me, it was grim. The A14 was particular awful.
The breakfast was passable, but not a tenner's worth of passable. The coffee was pish. The service was, at the very best, disinterested.
Thankfully, someone else was paying.
I had lunch at the OK Diner near Newark (A1 n/b) on the way home yesterday. As always, it was superb.
I hope OK Diner stay well clear.
We travel down the A38 on a semi frequent basis. The Barton-under-Needwood one made us go to OK Diner, however the one at Egginton also lost the plot and we gave up. In both cases, f
k me, it was grim. The A14 was particular awful.The breakfast was passable, but not a tenner's worth of passable. The coffee was pish. The service was, at the very best, disinterested.
Thankfully, someone else was paying.
I had lunch at the OK Diner near Newark (A1 n/b) on the way home yesterday. As always, it was superb.
I hope OK Diner stay well clear.
I put a review on Tripadvisor recently because the OK Diner has been revived and it's as excellent as that Little Chef is dire. Agree the Newark OK diner has always been a winner.
Frankly many of the locations that Little Chef have could be total goers for an operation with a bit of gumption and willing to serve the market that IS out there with what it wants.
Let's face it what competition is there out there? Occasionally one drops on a great indie roadway caff, but there are some right disasters amongst those too.
I have been to the OK Diners on the A1 (n/b Newark, n/b Tickencote, s/b Colsterworth) and they've all been great, every time. Food, value, service, cleanliness - all top-notch.
If the Little Chef management want to see what a good value (which is not the same as outright cheap), simple, good roadside cafe can be like, they could do worse than drop into an OK Diner. Look past the theme and get to the essence of what it is they do well.
If the Little Chef management want to see what a good value (which is not the same as outright cheap), simple, good roadside cafe can be like, they could do worse than drop into an OK Diner. Look past the theme and get to the essence of what it is they do well.
Yep they are quite OK (snigger)
As mentioned I gave up on the A38 OK Diner after a few visits where it was dire, this included a dish which was supposed to have crispy bacon but what was served consisted of a glutinous slab of microwaved pig.
However it's been sorted, new menu, new staff and back to the standards of those on the A1
website is here http://www.okdiners.com/ and if you are a member of their club you get 15% discount too.
Normally get more than I can finish anyway. As CJ says, anyone who looks beyond the American theme will see just what a roadside caff needs to do imvho.
As mentioned I gave up on the A38 OK Diner after a few visits where it was dire, this included a dish which was supposed to have crispy bacon but what was served consisted of a glutinous slab of microwaved pig.
However it's been sorted, new menu, new staff and back to the standards of those on the A1
website is here http://www.okdiners.com/ and if you are a member of their club you get 15% discount too.
Normally get more than I can finish anyway. As CJ says, anyone who looks beyond the American theme will see just what a roadside caff needs to do imvho.
CatJ said:
I've eaten in a couple of Little Chefs in the last 12 months and they were OK even though they hadn't been given the Heston make over.
67 is a heck of a lot of restaurants to offload, no doubt Subway will probably take a few. They opened up in a former Little Chef just down the road from us and it does do a roaring trade.
Guessing you live near Melksham then?67 is a heck of a lot of restaurants to offload, no doubt Subway will probably take a few. They opened up in a former Little Chef just down the road from us and it does do a roaring trade.
fizz47 said:
Would a IHOP in their place do well over here- Its cheap and cheerful but I thought the ones in America were great.
Would they be as well run though?.My experience of US chain restaurants in the UK is that they are not run to the same standards. McD, BK, Pizza Hut etc. All have disappointed me.
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