The Ely branch was a Little Chef restaurant located near the junction of the A10 and A142, just outside the city of Ely. The Ely branch was a Little Chef restaurant located near the junction of the A10 and A142, just outside the city of Ely.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: A10 Witchford Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3NN
ONSITE FACILITIES: BP, M&S Simply Food (forecourt), Wild Bean Cafe (forecourt), Burger King, Starbucks, Travelodge (Book Room)
History[]
Opening in the early 1990s, Ely sported the typical pitched roof and double front design of this era. However, whilst most branches had a red brick construction, Ely was built using a lighter shade of bricks.
Ely was located alongside a filling station and Travelodge, giving it the full quota of facilities for travelers and holiday-makers. Like many other Little Chef sites, Ely received a Burger King in the Granada era. Once again though, Ely was slightly different to other sites. The Burger King was not just a standard add on restaurant but also included a drive-thru as well. Even more unusual was that when the Burger King was removed in the early 2000s, the drive-through barrier remained attached to the side of the Little Chef.
In 2006 Ely received a Coffee Tempo! outlet in the old Burger King area, although it later closed in 2007.
In October 2012, Ely received a refresh. This was a much smaller refurbishment than the Wonderfully British scheme and did not include any of the new branding or furnishings. The Burger King returned as part of the refurbishment and a Little Chef Express was added to the lineup.
In Summer 2017, the Ely branch closed following the takeover by Euro Garages. It later reopened as a Starbucks.
