Morrisons cafe closures 2025: will one of 54 shutdowns hit your area? See dates, jobs and full list

Price pressure, tighter margins and changing habits are reshaping how Britons shop, sit down and socialise inside supermarkets today.

Shoppers across the country now face another twist: Morrisons is slimming down its in‑store dining. The grocer has begun shuttering dozens of cafés as part of a broader overhaul aimed at sharpening prices and competing in a bruising supermarket race.

Why Morrisons is trimming its cafes

Morrisons, which operates close to 500 stores, has moved to refocus investment on value and everyday ranges. The decision follows a period in which Aldi leapfrogged Morrisons into fourth place by market share, intensifying the fight on price and convenience. The company has also scaled back or removed other in‑store services, including some Morrisons Daily convenience sites, several florists and specialist counters.

Across 2025, 54 cafés are scheduled to close, with 52 sites already identified publicly. Further changes affect 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters, four pharmacies and all 18 Market Kitchens.

Chief executive Rami Baitieh has framed the shake‑up as a route to deliver keener prices while simplifying operations. The numbers point to a reset: like‑for‑like sales rose 3.9% and total sales climbed 4.2% to £3.9bn in the second quarter of the financial year, after heavy losses in previous years gave way to a return to profit in the year to 27 October 2024.

What this means for shoppers and staff

For customers, the biggest change is fewer places to sit down for a cooked breakfast or mid‑shop cuppa. Stores will keep core groceries, and most will retain hot food, bakery and takeaway options, but without café seating where closures occur. Staff at affected cafés have been offered redeployment where roles are available, with local teams advising on options.

If your local café is on the list, the store stays open. It’s the seating and table‑service offer that goes.

• Expect signage in store showing final trading dates for the café and any short‑term menu changes.
• Ask customer services about refunds on any prepaid café events or group bookings arranged locally.
• Check for alternative seating nearby, including community cafés or retail parks within a short drive.
• If you rely on a café for accessibility needs, speak to the store about quiet hours and assisted shopping options.

The backdrop: the supermarket squeeze

Food retailers face high energy costs, rising wages and stubborn competition from discounters. More shoppers grab food to go, and fewer linger. That shift makes full‑service cafés harder to justify in many locations, especially where footfall peaks only at weekends. Sainsbury’s has already exited most of its in‑store cafés, while other chains have pivoted to simpler hot counters or third‑party concessions. Morrisons is taking a similar path, freeing space for ranges that turn faster and support the weekly shop.

Shoppers want low prices and speed. Retailers are reorganising space to serve both.

Morrisons service changes at a glance

Full list of Morrisons cafés marked for closure so far

These are the 52 sites publicly identified to date. Morrisons says further locations may follow as plans complete locally.

• Bradford Thornbury
• Paisley Falside Road
• London Queensbury
• Portsmouth
• Great Park
• Banchory North Deeside Road
• Failsworth Poplar Street
• Blackburn Railway Road
• Leeds Swinnow Road
• London Wood Green
• Kirkham Poulton Street
• Lutterworth Bitteswell Road
• Stirchley
• Leeds Horsforth
• London Erith
• Crowborough
• Bellshill John Street
• Dumbarton Glasgow Road
• East Kilbride Lindsayfield
• East Kilbride Stewartfield
• Glasgow Newlands
• Largs Irvine Road
• Troon Academy Street
• Wishaw Kirk Road
• Newcastle UT Cowgate
• Northampton Kettering Road
• Bromsgrove Buntsford Industrial Park
• Solihull Warwick Road
• Brecon Free Street
• Caernarfon North Road
• Hadleigh
• London Harrow Hatch End
• High Wycombe Temple End
• Leighton Buzzard Lake Street
• London Stratford
• Sidcup Westwood Lane
• Welwyn Garden City Black Fan Road
• Warminster Weymouth Street
• Oxted Station Yard
• Reigate Bell Street
• Borehamwood
• Weybridge Monument Hill
• Bathgate
• Erskine Bridgewater Shopping Centre
• Gorleston Blackwell Road
• Connah’s Quay
• Mansfield Woodhouse
• Elland
• Gloucester Metz Way
• Watford Ascot Road
• Littlehampton Wick
• Helensburgh

How to plan if your café is closing

Final trading days vary by store, so check posters on site or speak to the customer service desk. If you’re planning a meet‑up that usually relies on in‑store seating, consider switching to the takeaway counter and using nearby public seating, or move to community venues that often offer low‑cost hot drinks.

• Call your local store before travelling if you need accessible seating or highchairs.
• Ask the team where the nearest Morrisons with a café remains open.
• If you hold any café‑specific vouchers issued locally, present them at the desk to discuss alternatives.

Why this matters for price and choice

Removing labour‑intensive space gives retailers room to grow lines that sell quickly and cheaply, such as own‑label staples. That can lift margins while protecting shelf prices. For shoppers, the trade‑off is less sit‑down hospitality in exchange for broader aisles, deeper promotions and more grab‑and‑go. The move also fits a pattern: UK grocers have steadily reduced manned counters and café seating since 2020, concentrating capital on fresh, bakery and convenience lines.

Morrisons says the goal is simple: tighter ranges, sharper prices and stores that reflect how people now shop.

What rivals tell us about the road ahead

Sainsbury’s has already retired most of its cafés, replacing them with simpler food‑to‑go fixtures. Tesco and Asda have trimmed some catering space, and more stores now host franchised coffee or fast‑food pods. Expect more hybrids: smaller seating areas, limited menus and extended takeaway. For Morrisons, success will hinge on whether shoppers feel the benefit in their baskets.

Extra context to help you decide your next shop

If you’re weighing up where to get breakfast or lunch on a budget, compare travel time and spend. A five‑mile drive to a café‑equipped store adds fuel and time; a grab‑and‑go option at your local branch might cost less overall. For families, look for kids‑eat‑for‑less deals at nearby high‑street cafés midweek, which can out‑price supermarket diners.

For staff and communities, café closures can remove a social hub. Many stores plan to keep low‑cost hot drinks through machines or counters. Ask about quiet times and seating elsewhere in the branch. If the café served as a meeting point, local councils and libraries often run warm‑space programmes with free or low‑cost refreshments during the day.