The Rivenhall End South branch was a former Little Chef restaurant located on the southbound side of the A12 near Witham, Essex.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: A12 Southbound, Rivenhall End, Witham, Essex, CM8 3HB
ONSITE FACILITIES: BP, Londis (forecourt), Wild Bean Cafe (forecourt), Starbucks, Greggs
LITTLE CHEF NOW: Starbucks, Greggs
History[]
The Little Chef at Rivenhall End South first opened in 1980, alongside a filling station on the southbound side of the A12 between Colchester and Chelmsford. It traded in tandem with the Rivenhall End North branch of Little Chef, located directly opposite on the northbound side.
Originally, the Little Chef was housed in a small, rectangular, flat-roofed building (a photo of the original restaurant building can be located at the gallery below); however, the building was later demolished and rebuilt utilising the pitched roof, double front design.
In the 1990s, a Forte Coffee Stop was added to the site, although this later closed.
In January 2012, then owners R Capital announced the closure of 67 unprofitable Little Chefs nationwide, with Rivenhall End South being one of the affected branches. The Little Chef closed in July 2012; however, and rather oddly, the restaurant building retained its signage for months following its closure.
In 2013, the restaurant building was converted into a Starbucks. An extension was later added to the rear of the building to host a Subway; however, this later closed and was replaced with a Greggs, which still trades today.
Gallery[]
