The Stoney Cross branch was a Little Chef restaurant located on the westbound side of the A31 near Lyndhurst, Hampshire.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: A31 Westbound, Rufus Stone, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7GN
ONSITE FACILITIES: Esso, Londis (forecourt), Costa Express (forecourt), f'real Milkshakes (forecourt), Travelodge (Book Room)
LITTLE CHEF NOW: Empty
For more information, visit Motorway Services Online
History[]
The Little Chef at Stoney Cross first opened in 1987 alongside an existing filling station and Travelodge hotel on the westbound side of the A31. The restaurant and hotel were housed within a large, grand building that had previously played host to the Compton Arms Hotel, with the ground floor accommodating the Little Chef and the first floor playing host to the Travelodge.
While Little Chef and Travelodge were owned by Granada in 1999, they described the grounds as "poorly maintained" and "unattractive". They therefore proposed demolishing the hotel building, replacing it with a new 40-bed Travelodge. A separate 80-seat Little Chef was also proposed in part of the car park. This proposal was refused by the local authority, most likely due to the historical significance of the building.
A Burger King was added to the restaurant in 2000, although this later closed and was replaced with a Coffee Tempo! in 2006. The Coffee Tempo! closed in circa. 2009.
Following the takeover of the Little Chef brand by Euro Garages in 2017, the Little Chef at Stoney Cross ceased trading in January 2018, making it one of the last sites to have closed across the entire estate. Following a brief stint as an EG Diner, the building was refurbished in June 2018 to become a Subway and Greggs combination site; however, the Subway and Greggs both closed a year later in 2019, leaving the ground floor of the building empty.
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