The Fourwentways branch was a former Little Chef restaurant located at the junction of the A11 and A1307 near Abington, Cambridgeshire.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: Newmarket Road, Fourwentways, Abington, Cambridgeshire, CB21 6AP
ONSITE FACILITIES: Shell, Select (forecourt), Deli by Shell (forecourt), Costa Express (forecourt), Travelodge (Book Room)
LITTLE CHEF NOW: Derelict
For more information, visit Motorway Services Online
History[]
The Little Chef at Fourwentways first opened in 1965 on what used to be a single carriageway section of the A11 to the east of Cambridge. The restaurant was built alongside a filling station at the Fourwentways Roundabout and was originally referred to as the Cambridge branch.
In 1995, the A11 was re-routed onto a new alignment to the west following the construction of a new dual carriageway between the M11 and Fourwentways, diverting traffic away from the site. Although the site was now bypassed, it remained a popular stop for travellers on the A11.
In 1998, and following their acquisition of Little Chef, Granada added a Burger King to the restaurant building. A Travelodge hotel was added to the site in the same year.
In 2002, Compass created the concept 'Little Chef Choices'. The format was used to take advantage of the number of catering names they owned (namely Harry Ramsdens, Caffe Ritazza, Upper Crust and Wiseguys Pizza), and thus increase the variety of options available to customers at selected Little Chef sites. Each Choices site was accompanied by a thorough refurbishment with lowered lights, tablecloths, and oak and steel fittings used to create a High Street ambience which would attract more evening diners. The Little Chef at Fourwentways was one of approximately 30 sites selected to become a Choices branch in 2002; however in 2004, the Choices concept was dropped and the menus from the other brands were removed.
The Burger King closed in the mid 2000s; however, it was later reopened by Kout Food Group in circa. 2013.
Following the takeover of the Little Chef brand by Euro Garages in 2017, the Little Chef at Fourwentways ceased trading in January 2018, making it one of the last sites to have closed across the entire estate. The restaurant then became an EG Diner, which traded until August 2018. In early 2019, the building was refurbished to become a Burger King, Subway and Greggs; however, the Subway would later closed in 2020.
In 2024, the former restaurant building was significantly damaged owing to a fire which was understood to have emerged in the Burger King during the early hours. Although current owners ASDA have claimed that they will aim to reopen the building, very little has taken place and the building remains in an abandoned state.
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