Crewe

Crewe
Number	465
Year Opened	1989/90
Year Closed	OPEN
Name of road	A500/M6
Name of village/town	Barthomley, Crewe
Name of county	Cheshire
Postcode	CW2 5PT

The Crewe branch is a current Litle Chef restaurant located on the A500, just off the M6 motorway near Crewe, Cheshire. 

The site was first built in the late 80s by Little Chef's rival chain, Kelly's Kitchen. The site was a joint venture between a Brewing Company, who operated the restaurant, and Petrofina, an oil company who operated the forecourt. This was one of 18 Kelly's Kitchens/ Petrofina sites operating across the UK, with Black Cat (A1), Seaton Burn (A1), Lincoln (A46) and Beacon Hill (A14) fellow survivers under the Little Chef brand. Kelly's Kitchen restaurants were very distinctive, housed inside a building with an overhanging roof, cottage styled windows and a large funnel-like chimney built into the site and the roof. 

In 1989/90, Forte were on the hunt to expand the Little Chef chain and decided to buy out Kelly's Kitchen and rebrand all 18 restaurants as Little Chef.  Pictures of the site soon after construction had finished show the Little Chef branding on the site, suggesting that it may never actually have become a Kelly's site, even the construction was planned by them. By 1992, Forte had added a Travelodge to the site giving them the dream combo. By 1995 Granada got their hands on Forte and added a Burger King to the site, although this later closed.

Due to its prime location off a motorway junction with a busy A-road, the Crewe site is busy everyday and, despite the lack of motorway signage, it acts as a motorway service station for the nearby M6. Plus, current owners Kout Food Group have now re-opened the Burger King, so there is even more potential for attracting customers.