The Weston on the Green North branch was a former Little Chef restaurant located on the northbound side of the A34 near Bicester, Oxfordshire.
Address and Onsite Information[]
ADDRESS: A34 Northbound, Weston on the Green, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX25 3QQ
ONSITE FACILITIES: BP, M&S Simply Food (forecourt), Wild Bean Cafe (forecourt), Starbucks, KFC
LITTLE CHEF NOW: Starbucks
For more information, visit Motorway Services Online
History[]
The services first opened in 1991, following the upgrade of the former A43 (now A34) between Oxford and Bicester to a dual carriageway. The site was known as Family Farm Services and initially played host to a filling station and Happy Eater restaurant. Located almost directly opposite on the southbound side was an existing Little Chef.
There were plans to build a Travelodge on the grass next to the forecourt, which was owned by Happy Eater, but this was refused planning permission in 1995.
A few years earlier in 1986, Forte had acquired the Happy Eater brand. By 1997, a large majority of Happy Eater restaurants across the country were converted into Little Chefs, with the Happy Eater at Weston on the Green being converted in 1996. This now resulted in a dual-sided Little Chef site.
In the late 1990s, and following Granada's acquisition of Little Chef, a Burger King was added to trade alongside the restaurant; however, this later closed in the mid 2000s.
In 2011, the Little Chef received the 'Wonderfully British' refurbishment along with nine other sites. Wonderfully British was the follow-on, slightly tweaked version of the "Hestonised" site, with slightly different interior finishes, new branding (Charlie lost his tray and instead had his arms open to welcome visitors) and Little Chef's new "grab and go" take-away option branded as Good to Go.
Following the takeover of the Little Chef brand by Euro Garages in 2017, the Little Chef at Weston on the Green North ceased trading in July of the same year. The building reopened as a Starbucks later in the year.
Gallery[]
