There are many iconic British brands that are sadly no more in this world, Woolworths (which is American), Index, EMI, One2One, Abbey National the list goes on.
But one iconic brand that no one born after the year 2000 would recognise is the roadside dinning chain ‘Little Chef’.
With restaurants dotted around the county on British roadsides as a child if you went on a long journey you stopped at a Little Chef. But what happened to them? Why are we not all eating our Olympic breakfast with a side order of pancakes whilst reading the A-to-Z map of Britain?
The Rise of Little Chef
First some backstory, Little Chef was founded in 1958 by Sam Alper who was inspired by roadside diners in the United States, Sam’s dream to bring those dinning experiences to British roads. With its distinctive Red and White branding and the white chef on the red background as a logo, Little Chef was born.
Generations of Britons have fond memories of indulging in Little Chef's signature dishes, from the hearty Olympic Breakfast to the legendary Pancake Stacks. Families would gather around the tables, sharing stories and laughter while savouring the simple yet delicious meals that Little Chef had to offer.
Little Chef as established was roadside business making it in the 60s & 70s an asset especially if a certain company owned a few roadside hotels especially on the A-roads where Little Chefs were based, and this is where Trust House Forte enter our story buying Little Chef.
Changes in Ownership and Challenges
Trust House Forte was one of the largest hotel businesses in the United Kingdom, using the Little Chef brand they created Little Chef lodges a small hotel on the side of the restaurant, the idea being if you were on a road journey, you could stop off for dinner at Little Chef, get a good nights kip and then back to Little Chef for the Olympic breakfast and then on your way back on the road.
Unfortunately for us Trust House Forte were not the only group that wanted in on Little Chef, future takeovers from Granada the company that operated the Manchester ITV franchise, Compass group, the private equity firm Premira in 2002, then in 2005 a group of catering entrepreneurs bought Little Chef, they did not however buy the Little Chef lodges which had now become Travelodge.
The decision not to buy the hotel business was a mistake because Little Chef at this point was known for its poorly kept restaurants with the same basic menu it had always had, add to the mix fast food option like McDonalds, Burger King and KFC, Little Chef looked very unappealing to the British public. The brand was nicknamed “Little Thieves” by this time, known for high prices and poor quality, a shadow of its former self.
A £10 Million pound takeover in 2007 stopped the company from going under completely and many of the Little Chef sites at Moto service stations were converted into Costa coffee.
The 2007 takeover from RCapital bought with it what I can only describe as a “Hail Mary” gamble in the form of celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal who at the time was known for his outlandish dishes such as “Bacon & Egg ice cream”.
Heston’s changes probably could have saved Little Chef, however it was too little to late and the complication of Little Chef not actually fully implementing the changes he recommended, it was a pointless PR stunt which was captured in the Channel 4 documentary ‘Big Chef Takes On Little Chef’.
Luckily RCapital found a buyer for Little Chef which had been struggling for some time, Kuwaiti company Kout Food Group bought Little Chef in 2013 and would continue to operate the restaurant chain believing they were the ones who could turn it around.
They didn’t a sold the restaurants to Euro Garages in 2017 who continues to operate them as Little Chef until 2018.
The End of an Era
Notice how I said Kout Food Group sold the restaurants and not Little Chef itself, that’s because Kout Food Group thought they could license the brand and not have the unpleasant business of owning the restaurants, which were either rebranded as EG Dinner or closed. So by 2018 Little Chef was no more.
What went wrong?
A company failing to change it’s menu, look and adapting to modern times, Little Chef was never a fast food restaurant but now days we live in the fast lane, most people just want to get to their destination, if they do stop at a service station it’s probably not for long.
The Little Chef website has subsequently shut down, thought the trademarks to the brand are still owned by Kout Food Group.
Is there a way back?
Maybe, I’d like to think so, but not as a roadside restaurant business. For me Little Chef should have moved away from the roadside business in the 2000s and gone retail parks, where there was little competition and more space, with newer buildings.
There is an argument to be had that with battery powered cars and roadside charging that a place like Little Chef could be somewhat needed, although I don’t think it would last that long, there are always sweet spots with these things, however if Little Chef did come back I think nostalgia would see it at least be profitable at first, but it would have to be very different from the original.
Remembering Little Chef
As we reflect on the story of Little Chef, we are reminded of the power of nostalgia and the enduring impact of a simple roadside restaurant on the collective memories of a nation. While Little Chef may no longer grace the roadsides of Britain, its spirit lives on in the hearts of those who shared a meal, a laugh, and a moment of respite at one of its red and white establishments.
Whether you were a loyal patron of Little Chef or simply heard tales of its charm, the story of this once-beloved restaurant chain serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of time and the enduring power of shared experiences around a table. Little Chef may have bid farewell, but its legacy continues to evoke smiles and warm memories among those who had the pleasure of dining at its humble establishments.
Let us raise a virtual toast to Little Chef, celebrating the joy it brought to countless travelers and the nostalgia it continues to evoke in the hearts of many.
Remembering the iconic British roadside restaurant chain, Little Chef, and its journey from culinary success to nostalgic memory.
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