Little Chef - your experience

Totally disappeared in our area about 10 years ago.
Am always surprised when we spot one elsewhere. Last used one 5 years ago, which scored adequate.

While we were in the Newmarket one, a family of five came in, used the toilets, and left. Bought nothing. It seemed a bit of a cheek really as they do drinks and sweets and stuff. I wonder if they then went next door for their Costa Coffee.

What sort of meals do the Diners serve?

We used to like Little Chef - there was one on the main road to the seaside near where we lived and we would sometimes pop down for a visit (sad eh?). Had to laugh though, once one of us really did order an omelette to be told there were none, so ordered something else which included a fried egg! They must have only had ready made (frozen?) omelettes. I have heard people say that as a joke but it honestly really happened to us (was about 20 years ago now though!)

Don't seem to be any Little Chefs round here or on our travel routes any more, the sites all look like they are Chinese or Thai restaurants now. I miss them - they had a yummy lemon tart pud.

The American diners prove that the trade is there, you often have to queue for a table.

Here is the link to the 15% discount card for the OK diners (it's free)

www.okdiners.com/ok-rocks

They had good premises in prime sites, but they are a classic example of failure to adapt to a changing business environment. You only have to look at how many of their premises have been taken over by Starbuck's to realise that the trade was there - they just had to adapt to it. And when they did try to adapt who did they call on - Heston Blumenthal! Why on earth did they ever think that this was a good way forward for them. Heston Blumenthal is very good at what he does. But what he does, simply does not mesh with what Little Chef does. Even if they thought that bringing in a celebrity chef was the answer (and I'm not convinced that it was), then there must be plenty of others who were more in tune with Little Chef's business.

Unfortunately, they have suffered at the hands of appalling senior management for so long that I honestly think the whole business is beyond redemption now.

I worked for little chef over twenty years ago and it was a great place to work, always busy, varied, due to the customers who came in, and an opportunity to earn great tips if you gave a good service.

We always tried to keep the toilets spotless and the tables cleared and ready for the next customer to use.

We tried to ensure that we had enough staff on duty to cover each section of the restaurant, plus a washer upper, two cooks on the busy days and a manager or deputy. Now a days I think establishments try to run on a minimum of staff and that reflects in the service and the facilities.

Do they have non booth seating WB ?

There are three American dinners along the A1 around Newark that are excellent. There is one on the A14 east bound just before Cambridge that was old Little Chef, Herbies American Diner that is also excellent.

We often use them if we're on a longish journey and I truly believe it depends on the staff. There's one on the A14 that does the best breakfast ever ! And the toilets are clean too. There's another one which usually has an all male staff which again is unfailingly good (I forget the location). But we stopped at one on our way to Thetford a few months ago that was appalling.

Service was non existent and the lady went out of her way to make us feel like customers were an unwanted nuisance !!

I complained to Little Chef and they just thanked me for my concern and said the area manager would do some additional training.

We used to prefer the long gone Happy Eaters.

The problem with the American style diners is some of them are booth only seating which doesn't suit us , but of course you wont know that unless you go in maybe any recommendations here would be a great help.

Nice to hear a positive comment about something that's been adopted from America. American diners are awesome!

I can only remember going to a LC about 38 years ago. It was on the way to Plymouth, we were moving to a new married quarter. DD1 was nearly 2. A waitress went by with a hearty looking breakfast saying "sausage, egg and bacon?". "Yes please" pipes up DD1. The order was nothing to do with us, still makes us laugh to think about that.

I think a lot must depend on the manager. We regularly use the one on the Newmarket Bypass to break the journey and use the loo, and always had good service and it's clean. It's usually pretty empty too - we called in last week and there was only one other person in there. There's a Costa Coffee opened in the petrol station next door and there were lots of people sitting eating in their cars. I suspect Little Chefs may be on their way out. The one on the other carriageway is now an M&S.

With more takeaway places I fear there litter problem on trunk roads will get even worse.

Little Chefs always marked the start of our holidays about 40 years ago and the children really loved them. DH quite enjoyed the Olympic Breakfast too

We avoid them if at all possible.

We do that route quite often too Wb and haven't tried the diners but will do now. We usually do the same as J52 and leave the main road and go to a likely looking hotel. Nice toilets if nothing else.

Cherries Jubilee! Yum. Those were the days.
Did I imagine a TV programme where Heston Blumenthal took over a Little Chef and came up with some new dishes?

I thought the LC were a franchise. Compared to how good they always were they are really dreadful now. We found one in Kent - on the road to Ramsgate a few years ago and tried it but were sorely disappointed.
Do you remember the great pancakes they did with map,e syrup and ice cream?

I think LC's did go out of business and were taken over, which is when they improved for a while.

If anyone knows of a reasonable stop along the A14 from Cambridge through to the M1, I would love to know.

We don't really want to go far off the route, just want a light meal and a good coffee. The A1 is OK as there are 4 American Diners which we like, plus several transport cafes.

I actually thought Little Chefs had gone out of business years ago, shows how much I travel...

There are several along the A1 and A14, whaich are routes we travel very regularly. A couple have been taken over as independant American diners and are great, clean, good food and reasobably priced, hope a few more get taken over.
It's our journey along the A14 - M1 that is the worst, as there are no alternatives.

We never use them now. When the DCs were little they were useful and a resonable standard.

Now, on our frequent journeys along A1M and M6 we look for more interesting places to stop, just off the Motorways. It's surprising what you find!

The Little Chef on the A303 was largely responsible for ruining our Christmas last year. Stopped for a "light"lunch which was so greasy it upset DH's liver (transplanted 20 years ago) giving him such violent indigestion he was on the point of getting me to turn us round and go straight home. His mood went from bad to worse and what should have been a lovely multi-generational holiday in 2 luxury lodges at Cricket St Thomas was an ordeal for him and not much fun for me trying to smooth things over. Our feet stuck to the floor in the toilets too - should have realised then

I don't think there's enough left to make a judgement. However, I think there IS a gap in the market for this kind of refreshment stop but there'll have to be a heavy investment to bring them up to date. People's expectations have changed, and LC needs to keep up.

And there's never an excuse for stinky toilets...

MrsP worries that if the toilets are filthy, what is the cleanliness in the kitchen like.

Hardly ever see a Little Chef anymore but I do remember the toilets were always very grubby.