<<in>>

Ah yes, I've had fast food like that...

Surely that's "in and out of the same end"?

<< .. Surely that's "in and out of the same end"?>>

Er, there isn't a smiley for the other one.

And I messed up the formatting before

Peter

The one at Tyndrum on the A82 closed before Christmas.It always seemed to keep very busy and there is no alternative during the evening for many miles in any direction. The service there was always very poor, I suspect that this was probably because they had difficulty recruiting staff.
During the day the Green Welly is much better but the Little Chef always seemed to have plenty of cars in the car park.
MB

<[i]>

Believe it or not on many of the toll roads in the US, (like the NY Thruway or Ohio Turnpike), one can find MSA-like rest stops. They're often called Service Areas or Oasis. They feature a variety of restaurants and a petrol station, without having to exit the motorway!

http://www.ohioturnpike.org/services.htm
Thought that you might like a look at these more like our service areas and look like they have more choice.
The toll roads ebing a private enterprise they have built these places as they can make money off of travellers, as the company owns the road they can do pretty much what they want.
When I was in Florida I noticed that they had toll road services in the middle of the toll road - you exited from the fast lane into the services.
Saved them building two either side of the road, could be usefull here as well HGV's cant use the fast lane so there would never be any in the car park - would be a bummer though for getting things into the place !
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=26. ... 000&icon=x

Went past theLittle Chefon the A614 at Ollerton today. This one has also bitten the dust, not surprised given there's a McDonalds opposite where I can use my Nectar vouchers
There wasa Burger King attached to this one which has also closed.
The Little Chef on the A4123 in Oldbury is still open. It seems to me to be an unusual location for a Little Chef being as virtually all the traffic on this road is local. Maybeit will be boarded up next time I pass it.

The A33 LC near the Wellington Monument is now gone.....

Agree good ridance, expensive, poor quality, unclean and indifferent service, the idea is long long past its sell by date. For value and cleanleness you can't beat the 'tea rooms' in those large out of town stores with all that parking too.

The Little Chef (former Happy Eater) and Travelodgein Burnley still seem to do good business, despite being hidden just off j10 of the M65. Nobody would know it's there from the motorway, so it can't attract much passing trade. Not even any unofficial signing (eg, truckinfield alongside motorway etc). As it has a Travelodge attached, it looks like it will be one of the ones that survives the cull.
Actually, I suspect a lot of itsbusiness is from locals, as it is still one of the best places to eat out in the immediate area. (I'm allowed to say that, I live nearby!)

So I am sure you'll be laughing with glee because the Little Chef at Blackburn Interchange Services is gone....
The whole MSA is having brand new signage put up it seems... it's not even 2.5 years old yet! I take it they're preparing for the change to "Darwen Services" as the services 1.5 miles sign on the M65 eastbound has gone as well.

Noticed yesterday the one on the A23 just after the end of the M23 at Hooleyis now closed and boarded up.
Whilst agree theLittle Chefs were never haute quisine, or even half decent,they at least had an OK fry up and passable toastedtea cakes! Some have upper crust (such as A27 Fontwell) which is OK. It will be a dead loss if they are all replaced by Burger King or McDonalds.
I say lets bring the French in and like them have Moule Frites and Confit de Canard as a mainstay of roadside quisine

Bryn: [[So I am sure you'll be laughing with glee because the Little Chef at Blackburn Interchange Services is gone]]

The Little Chef would have been the lesser of two evils given the MSA operator is... McDonalds! I was quite looking forward to something of the Little Chef ilk where I could get a cheap, if dull, evening meal when I was staying at Blackburn services after the awayday. Instead I got some stuff (cold pies & bread products, if memory serves) from Somerfield.

Went past theLittle Chefon the A614 at Ollerton today.

This one has been shut for four or five weeks now.

Andy

And McDonalds have their problems as well.
The two on the A1 near Grantham have both closed - southbound carriageway perhaps 4-5 years ago, northbound one around 2 years or so.
Haven't been passed for a year or so so don't know what, if anything, is there now.
Tony

And McDonalds have their problems as well.

The two on the A1 near Grantham have both closed - southbound carriageway perhaps 4-5 years ago, northbound one around 2 years or so.

Haven't been passed for a year or so so don't know what, if anything, is there now.

I drove this way today, thought the same thing and was going to make exactly the same post! Both buildingsstill exist, buthave been boarded up ever since McDonalds vacated them.
Andy

<< .. And McDonalds have their problems as well.>>

I think the point is that the average length of journeys in the UK isn't sufficiently long to support a large network of outlets that are dedicated to providing snacks and meals for long-distance travellers. If somewhere is to prosper it needs to appeal to locals too.

The British catering market is also very fickle and snobbish in a way that isn't the case in the US.

Peter

I'm sure the recent proliferation of large supermarkets, especially those open for 24 hours, has made a difference. Nearly all my stops on long journeys are made at these because the food is varied andcheap andthere are generallytoilets and petrol available. I would only stop at any form of 'services' if I was absolutely desperate.

Bump!

These two articles suggest that Little Chef may soon be no more The dead tree version of today's Guardian had a good picture of the listed hyperbolic paraboloid roofed one at Markham Moor, seen here in a 2004 article

I read this in the paper yesterday about the potential imminent collapse of Little Chef, upsetting indeed. I don't really have a problem with they're restaurants other than occasional slow service even if you are the only ones in there. All they're food is cooked fresh and at least half of what I have tried at them over the years has been of excellent quality to my taste buds. I've always liked the 'laid back' atmosphere of their restaurants, much more pleasant than the likes of Burger King/McDonalds e.t.c with plastic seats and cold tiled floors.

I only hope they can find a new investor as it would be a shame to loose Little Chef. I was disappointed we lost Happy Eater. I just hope if a new investor is found that nothing too much is changed. I think they have decent enough menus that suit almost all taste buds (i.e - proper, decent food, not foreign rubbish which has spread like a rash over our restaurants these past few years).

I knew Little Chef were in trouble a year or two ago but I honestly thought they were turning themselves around, obviously not.