Staffordshire Marks & Spencer café among 14 nationally set to close
The in-store cafe will be among a group nationally to close.
The cafe at a Staffordshire food superstore is set to close down as part of a national restructuring plan.
The in-store cafe at the Marks & Spencer Foodhall at Westbridge Park in Stone has been named as one of 14 cafes nationwide to close down as part of the plans.
Marks & Spencer confirmed it would shut the in-store cafés, affecting 13 locations in England and one in Scotland, as part of a store restructuring strategy designed to "provide more product choice and improve the shopping experience".
In recent years, Marks and Spencer has been reviewing its store estate nationally, with a growing emphasis on food sales and foodhall investment, with several stores having seen café areas reduced or removed to make room for additional chilled, fresh, or convenience food ranges.
A spokeswoman for Marks & Spencer said the decision followed a review of the Westbridge Park site, with the focus on providing greater product choice rather than café seating.
Katie Whelan, Regional Manager, said: “We know many of our customers want to be able to shop a wider range of M&S Food.
“That’s why after reviewing our Westbridge Park store, we are re-purposing the café space to provide more product choice and improve the shopping experience.
“We understand this will be disappointing news for some of our customers however our team will continue working hard to serve them in-store.”
M&S cafés offer coffee, sandwiches and hot meals, while providing special offers for over-60s shoppers, including a 10 per cent senior discount.
They also run a children's menu priced at £4.50 and provide complimentary cake slices for parents during morning hours.
The retailer's regional manager, Katie Whelan, said: "We are re-purposing the café space in-store to provide more product choice and improve the shopping experience.
“We understand this will be disappointing news for some of our customers; however, our teams will continue working hard to serve them in-store."
- Crawley, West Sussex
- Dunblane, Stirling, Scotland
- Congleton, Cheshire
- Anlaby, East Riding of Yorkshire
- Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
- Martlesham Heath, Ipswich
- Bidston Moss, Cheshire
- Bishop Auckland, Durham
- South Aylesford, Kent
- Strood Retail Park, Kent
- Whitstable, Kent
- Canterbury, Kent
- Sittingbourne Retail Park, Kent
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