The Doncaster branch was a former Little Chef restaurant located on the northbound side of the A1 near Skellow, South Yorkshire.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: A1 Northbound, Skellow, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN6 8LR
ONSITE FACILITIES: Esso, Hursts (forecourt), Costa Express (forecourt), Burger King, Greggs, Travelodge (Book Room)
History[]
There were two failed proposals to upgrade the A1 to motorway status, first was between 1989 and 1997, and again in 2015. Had they gone ahead, it's likely that the service area, including the Little Chef would have had to close.
Names[]
This location has had multiple names over the years, the location when first planned was set to be called Carcroft but the name changed to Doncaster (matching with the Happy Eater and Travelodge's names) when the Little Chef replaced the Happy Eater in 1996/7. The site even had the alternative name of Skellow (which Travelodge also used interchangabily with Doncaster) as the village of Skellow was very nearby to the site. As well as these names, the forecourt has used the name White Rose since at least 2010.
As Happy Eater[]
When Forte originally got hold of the site between 1986 and 1988 it was opened as a Happy Eater. As Happy Eater, it was visited by then-Prime Minister John Major for a fried breakfast on his way to a Young Conservatives conference in February 1991. The press were disappointed that he left without leaving a tip. Major came to be closely associated with the Happy Eater brand.
As Little Chef[]
In terms of facilities, there was the perfect combination of Little Chef, Travelodge and a Texaco petrol station. When it changed to a Little Chef it received a Little Chef Coffee Stop but also became one of a series of pilot sites designed to encourage more evening diners. To do this it received air conditioning, an uprated interior with softer lighting and blue branding, as opposed to Little Chef's traditional red to set it apart from standard sites. However, once Granada took over, this was changed back to traditional red.
Originally it had a dedicated coffee shop, but this later became a Burger King, although it was then closed by the mid 2000s. It was replaced by a Coffee Tempo! which in turn was gone by 2011.
The forecourt was severely damaged in a collision on 12 September 2002, however the Little Chef building was not damaged in the collision.
The Doncaster branch has always rivalled the Barnsdale Bar branch which was located a few miles north on the A1. However, given its superior location, more modern interior and greater choice of facilities, Doncaster was always the more popular choice and, when one branch had to go, it was Barnsdale Bar that closed, twice.
In 2011, Doncaster was renovated and became one of the "Wonderfully British" sites. Wonderfully British was the follow-on, slightly tweaked version of the "Hestonised" site with slightly different interior finishes, new branding (Charlie lost his tray and instead had his arms open to welcome visitors) and Little Chef's new "grab and go" take-away option known as Good to Go.
In June 2015, Kout Food Group resurrected the Burger King at Doncaster.
After Little Chef[]
Following the takeover by Euro Garages in 2017, Doncaster was one of a number sites converted to an EG Diner in January 2018. This is due to the expiration of Euro Garages' right to use the Little Chef brand name. However, the EG Diner ceased trading by July 2018, leaving just the Burger King to soldier on alone. When the Burger King moved to a different part of the building, Greggs opened in its original place in September 2018.
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