HAS BEAN
Major coffee chain with over 2,000 branches abruptly shuts branch permanently leaving customers ‘absolutely gutted’
Scroll down to see which other sites have been closed down this year
A MAJOR coffee chain with over 2,000 branches has abruptly shut leaving customers "absolutely gutted".
The Costa Coffee branch in Fleet Walk, Burnley, has pulled down the shutters for the final time.
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The branch has actually been closed since the start of the month with customers left confused as to why it was empty.
But the company has now confirmed the closure is permanent, and it is set to be replaced by another shop.
A Costa Coffee spokesperson said: "We can confirm that our Costa Coffee store on Fleet Walk, Burnley, which is owned and operated by one of our corporate partners, closed for trade at the beginning of September 2024.
"Customers are however still able to visit the Costa Coffee store located in Tesco on Centenary Way."
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Many shoppers were left disappointed after the branch shut down.
Commenting on news of the closure one said: "Absolutely gutted on Saturday when I couldn’t get my Costa!"
Another wrote: "Town centre is dying of a slow death."
A third quipped that the situation was a "Costa living crisis".
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The store only reopened in July 2022 following a refurbishment inside.
The popular café has already closed dozens of its sites in recent months.
I go to Costa all the time - I get FREE coffee thanks to my specific order 'hack'
Costa closed its branch in Alexandra retail park, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday 1 September.
The franchised site had been open for nine years, and customers have said it was a "great place".
Coffee giant Costa regularly reviews its store estate across the UK.
This can include the closing or renovation of existing stores, or the opening of new stores.
Below we reveal the full list of Costa Coffee sites which have already shut and those which are due to close this year.
To find your nearest store or Costa Express machine, you can visit the chain's website.
Which Costa Coffee shops have closed?
Each of the sites which have closed has further Costas nearby, which you can find using the locator tool on the chain's website.
The following branches closed, or are set to close this year.
- Packhorse Road, Buckinghamshire - January 10
- King Street, Maidstone, Kent - January 20
- Chiswick High Road, London - February 6
- Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh - February 14
- Rottingdean, Brighton and Cove - February
- Erdington High Street, Birmingham - March 1
- Cheltenham (inside House of Fraser) - March 23
- Stockton Heath, Warrington - April 11
- High Street West, Uppingham - May
- Rhyl High Street, North Wales - May 14
- The Martlets, Burgess Hill, July 8
- Maryport Street, Devizes - August 15
- Alexandra retail park, Tunstall - September 1
Here are the Costa shops which closed in 2023:
- Coliseum retail park in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire - June 3
- Welch Way, Witney - June 5
- Wigan town centre - June 25
- Five Rise Shopping Centre, Bingley - July 9
- High Street, Worcester - July (relocated September 15)
- Lowestoft's North Quay retail park - July 23 (refurbishment)
- Church Street, Oakham - September 15
- West Bridgford, near Nottingham - September 22
- Commercial Street, Newport, Wales - October
- Church Street in Malvern, near Worcestershire - November 17
- Gatwick Airport South Terminal - November
Which other food and drink chains have closed?
Food and drink chains in general have been suffering in recent months as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny's closing branches.
In early 2023, burger chain Byron Burger collapsed into administration resulting in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Prezzo, the Italian chain, also revealed plans to shut 46 restaurants last year as a result of soaring energy and food costs, putting 810 jobs at risk.
More recently, Papa Johns confirmed 43 closures for May 2024.
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Although some chains have managed to persevere, like Greggs which announced huge expansion plans.
Bakery chains Wenzel's the Bakers and Patisserie Valerie are also looking at opening new branches.
How to save money eating out
THERE are a number of ways that you can save money when eating out. Here's how:
Discount codes - Check sites like Sun Vouchers or for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order.
Tastecard - This is a members club where you pay to have access to discounts worth up to 50 per cent off at thousands of restaurants. It costs £4.99 a month or £34.99 for the year.
Loyalty schemes - Some restaurants will reward you with discounts or a free meal if you register with their loyalty scheme, such as Nando's where you can collect a stamp with every visit. Some chains like Pizza Express will send you discounts for special occasions, such as your birthday, if you sign up to their newsletter.
Voucher schemes - Look out for voucher schemes offered by third party firms, such as Meerkat Meals. If you compare and buy a product through CompareTheMarket.com then you'll be rewarded with access to the discount scheme. You'll get 2 for 1 meals at certain restaurants through Sunday to Thursday.
Student discounts - If you're in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It's always worth asking before you place your order.
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