The Ilminster branch was a Little Chef restaurant located at the junction of the A303 and A358 near the small town of Ilminster, Somerset.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: Horton Cross, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 9PT
ONSITE FACILITIES: Burger King, Greggs, Starbucks, Sainsbury's On the Go, Shell, Travelodge (Book Here)
History[]
The branch started out life as a Happy Eater in 1989/90. It was housed in a large brick building with the trademark Happy Eater chimney and weather vane. However, Ilminster was originally planned as a Little Chef and was even temporarily allocated the number 411. In 1996/97, Ilminster did eventually become a Little Chef as one of many Happy Eaters to be converted to the more profitable Little Chef brand.
The Little Chef was accomponied by a Travelodge and filling station, providing the dream combination for travellers. During the Granada era, Ilminster recieved a Burger King which has survived to this day.
Ilminster received the Little Chef Choices makeover in the early 2000s. This saw the addition of many other brands including Harry Ramsden's and Upper Crust. Ilminster also received a Coffee Tempo branch during the mid 2000s but in 2009 it closed.
In 2011, Ilminster was one of ten lucky sites to receive the 'Wonderfully British' makeover. This included a new interior design and saw the branch rebranded in a new bright red colour scheme. A Good to Go counter was added as part of the renovations.
Following the takeover by Euro Garages in 2017, Ilminster 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.
In October 2018, all remaining EG Diners closed down including the branch at Ilminster. It was planned to be replaced by a KFC in January 2019, although this never opened. Instead, it is now operating as a refreshed Burger King branch with drive through - along with Greggs, Starbucks on the go & Sainsbury's On the Go.