The Honiton branch was a Little Chef restaurant located on the A30 near Honiton, Devon.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: A30 Monkton Road, Monkton, Honiton, Devon, EX14 9QQ
ONSITE FACILITIES: Starbucks
History[]
The Little Chef first opened between 1972 and 1976. In this era Forte sent teams around the UK trying to buy up existing roadside cafes and inns in order to quickly grow Little Chef without the delays and the planning process required to build new sites from scratch. From the design of the building, a converted house or inn, it looks like Honiton was one of these cases.
Inside, Honiton was a real mismatch of styles. The lightshades were 1980s as were the bare brick walls while the wood panelling is from the 70s. Certainly a site with a bit of charm. However, a majority of the furniture was replaced following a minor refurbishment in 2015.
In March 2017, Honiton was one of a few Little Chefs to close down following the Euro Garages takeover. It now trades as a Starbucks.
Trivia[]
- An unofficial Little Chef clone called the 'Newcott Chef' was located only ten minutes northbound, also on the A30. Former BBC production assistant Derek Lavey purchased the location in the late 1960s, eventually rebranding the former motel and nightclub as the Newcott Chef at somepoint down the line. It used a very similar colour scheme, and even had the trademark Little Chef minimilk lamps. It faced legal action in 1993 from Little Chef, though nothing came from it. In 2014, it became part of the Route Restaurants chain, but is now going to be a Brightside Roadside location in mid-2023.
