The Gretna branch was a former Little Chef restaurant located on the A74, then A74(M), near Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: Welcome Break, Gretna Service Area, Gretna, Dumfries & Galloway, DG16 5HQ
ONSITE FACILITIES: BP, Londis (forecourt), Costa Express (forecourt), Dunkin' Donuts (forecourt), Burger King, Chopstix Noodle Bar, KFC, Starbucks, The Good Breakfast, Krispy Kreme, The Phat Pasty Co., Rollover, Starbucks on the Go, Canny Scot Shop, Waitrose & Partners, WHSmith, Days Inn, Game Zone
LITTLE CHEF NOW: KFC
For more information, visit Motorway Services Online
History[]
In the first instance, Gretna Services started out as a dual-sided service station on what used to be the main A74 route between Carlisle and Glasgow, with each side playing host to a filling station. A Little Chef was built on the northbound side in 1972; however, the restaurant was also accessible to traffic travelling southbound owing to the presence of a grade separated junction which linked the two sides together.
In 1976, the UK's first Little Chef Lodge hotel was built alongside the restaurant at Gretna Green. Further additions would be added to the site in 1982, when Forte opened a branch of their self-branded, self-service restaurant The Granary alongside the Little Chef. In 1985, the Little Chef Lodge was rebuilt in a more modern building to help relaunch the Little Chef Lodge brand, although the hotel, along with all other Little Chef Lodge sites across the country, became a Travelodge by 1989.
In the late 1980s, plans were announced to upgrade the A74 between Abington and Gretna to a motorway. Consequently, this would result in the demise of the southbound services owing to the construction of a new grade separated motorway junction with realigned slip roads in its place. Forte however saw the motorway upgrade as an opportunity to redevelop the site, demolishing and rebuilding the main service area building in its new modern Welcome Break format. As well as The Granary, shop, toilets, Julie's Pantry and small amusement area, the new site also housed a Little Chef. Although rebuilt and now housed in the new amenity building, the Little Chef still retained its same number.
Further change came in around 1997. Prior to this in 1995, Forte had been taken over by rival motorway service station operator, Granada, who already operated roadside services on motorways and A-roads and relished the chance to get their hands on Forte and its Travelodge, Little Chef, Welcome Break and Happy Eater brands. However, the Monopolies and Mergers Commission ruled that Granada's motorway presence was now too large and forced Granada to sell off the newly acquired Welcome Break motorway sites. Granada did this, retaining all other brands and Welcome Break's A-road sites, now rebranded as Granada. However, the sale of Welcome Break meant that Travelodge and Little Chef facilities in Welcome Break motorway service areas would have to be rebranded, as these brands now belonged to Granada. As such, Little Chef became Red Hen in circa. 1998 and Travelodge became Welcome Lodge, both new in-house brands. The Red Hen however closed by 2004 and the restaurant at Gretna has since played host to a KFC.
A more detailed history of Gretna Services can be found on Motorway Services Online.