Morrisons is set to shutter 54 in‑store cafés across the UK next year, reshaping the way many shoppers pause for a cuppa and a slice after the weekly shop. The supermarket says the move is part of a broader rethink of its food-to-go spaces, with a new mix of formats on the way. A full list has been published by the retailer and shared with affected stores.
The lunch rush didn’t really feel like a rush at all. Two regulars in quilted jackets, one high chair with mashed banana welded to the tray, and a barista wiping a metal jug until it squeaked. The clatter of cutlery stitched through the soft squeal of trolleys rolling past the café entrance. You could sense the rhythm: a pot of tea, a bacon roll, a glance at the receipt.
Then came the notice on the pinboard by the door. “This café is closing next year.” A rip through the routine, plain and unsentimental. *The clatter of cups has a way of making a supermarket feel like a village hall.*
Now, that soundtrack is set to fade in 54 places. And not just for a week.
What Morrisons is changing — and why it feels bigger than a menu tweak
There’s more here than a quiet corner losing its kettle. When a supermarket café shuts, it nudges the whole shopping ritual. That quick sit-down with a scone becomes a takeaway in the car, or nothing at all. **Morrisons will close 54 in‑store cafés next year, putting a question mark over familiar tables and routines.**
This isn’t about taste alone. It’s about space, pace, and what a big shop feels like on a busy Saturday.
Think of the weekday morning crowd. Parents after the school run. Solo shoppers with a paperback and a pot of English Breakfast. On payday Fridays, you’d hear the soft hiss of the steamer and see two specials chalked up, each with a swirl of brown sauce in the picture. One Bradford shopper told me she times her groceries for the warmth of the café, not the aisles. On a grey day, it’s a tiny holiday without the suitcase.
Strip that out and the trip changes. People buy faster. Some linger in the bakery aisle. A few head to the retail park down the road instead, to a chain that knows their latte by heart. It’s a small decision that ripples.
Margins have been pinched. Energy bills, staffing, and ingredient costs all stack up against a £4.99 breakfast deal. Home-working cut midweek footfall. Many cafés have been through refurbishments and trials with grab‑and‑go counters and new hot food ranges. In retail speak, the floor space needs to “sweat” a bit harder. That means different formats — more food-to-go, more branded partners, more room for core grocery. **Closing cafés isn’t a shrug; it’s a signal of how supermarkets are redrawing the map inside their own walls.**
And yes, it lands in real lives: hours to be reshuffled, commutes to be stretched, habits to be unlearned.
How to navigate a café closure at your local Morrisons
First step: check the timeline. Your store should display a notice with a closure month and any planned replacement, plus brief FAQs on gift cards or loyalty stamps. Visit the Morrisons store finder, search your branch, and look for “Café — service update.” Call the store around mid‑morning for the clearest answer. Staff on the café till usually have the freshest info on last‑day timings and menu run‑downs.
If you have loyalty stamps or a café-specific gift card, take a photo of both sides now. Keep the receipt from your last visit tucked in your phone wallet. If your café is closing in stages, aim to use remaining balances a week before the final day. Let’s be honest: no one really does that every day. But it saves a headache if stock starts running thin near the end.
Common mistakes happen when people wait until the very last lunch service. That’s when specials sell out, and staff are juggling goodbyes with tills. Try a quieter slot — midweek, after the breakfast rush. Ask what’s replacing the café. You might find a pop‑up counter or a refreshed hot food station going live within days. A few shoppers feel awkward about raising money questions with staff. Don’t. The team wants clear outcomes too, and a quick chat beats an email limbo.
On the workforce side, roles may be offered elsewhere in-store or at neighbouring branches. If you’re part‑time and rely on school hours, state those constraints early. It helps managers map shifts without overlap.
“It wasn’t just the tea. It was fifteen minutes where someone knew my order and asked about my day,” said one regular outside a Yorkshire branch. “I’ll still shop here. It just won’t feel the same.”
Here’s a quick crib sheet for readers who want the facts without the faff:
- 54 Morrisons cafés are set to close next year, on a store-by-store schedule.
- Replacement formats vary: some sites will add food-to-go counters, others will repurpose space.
- Look for in‑store notices and the store finder page for your branch’s status and dates.
- Gift cards and stamp balances: use early or ask customer services about options.
- Staff are being consulted; roles may shift within the store or nearby locations.
What this says about how we shop — and where the new “pause” might live
We’ve all had that moment when a supermarket café became a breathing space. A shelter from the rain. A slice of traybake that tasted like a break. **When that spot disappears, we don’t only lose a menu. We lose a small, shared pause in a day that’s mostly rush.**
Morrisons is betting that your pause can move. To a coffee pod at home. To a takeaway cup grabbed on the way out. To a fresh counter that serves a hot pie with more speed and less seating. Maybe they’re right. Some shoppers prefer a brisk in‑and‑out, without the clink of saucers. Others will drift to the nearest café outside the store and stitch a new habit from old threads. Retail keeps teaching the same lesson: people adapt, even when they grumble.
If your branch is on the list, you’ll probably see weeks of little changes first. Shorter hours. A trimmed menu. Fewer mugs, more paper cups. The last day won’t be dramatic. A few hugs, a couple of selfies with the team, a final wipe of the steamer wand. Then the lights click off, and the space becomes something else. It’s not the end of tea. It’s the end of a room where the kettle was always on.
There’s a reason café news strikes a nerve. It isn’t about a novelty latte. It’s the small communities built on saucers and tray lines. And it hints at where supermarket life is going next — streamlined, brand‑mixed, squeezed for time and space. You might find your new “pause” in a different nook of the same store, or across the car park under a different logo. Or you might take it back home, feet up, kettle on, radio low.
If your local is on the closure list, talk to the team, use your balances, and keep an eye on what sprouts in its place. The next format could suit you more than you think. Or it might send you down the road to a rival that gets the vibe you like. Either way, this is a shift worth sharing with the people you shop with. Habits change smoother when everyone knows what’s coming.
And if your branch dodges the changes this time, don’t be surprised if the menu still evolves. Retail never sits still. The cups keep turning, even when the café doesn’t.
| Key points | Details | Interest for reader |
|---|---|---|
| 54 cafés to close | Staged across next year, store-specific timelines | Check if your local is affected and when |
| What replaces them | Mix of food-to-go counters, refreshed hot food, repurposed space | Know what’s coming to your branch |
| What to do now | Verify dates, use balances early, ask about staff and service changes | Practical steps to avoid last-minute snags |
FAQ :
- Which Morrisons cafés are closing?The retailer has published a store-by-store list in‑store and via customer services. Use the store finder for your branch and look for “Café — service update.”
- When will my local café shut?Closure dates vary by location. Most sites will post notices several weeks in advance, with a last-day date and any replacement details.
- What happens to café gift cards and loyalty stamps?Use any remaining balance or stamps early. If that’s not possible, speak to customer services at your store about options for unused value.
- Are jobs being cut?Morrisons is consulting with impacted teams. Some roles may move within the store or to nearby branches. Ask in store for local updates.
- Will there still be hot food and coffee in my store?Many locations will add or expand food-to-go counters. You may see a different offer, with faster service and fewer seats.
Note for readers expecting a line-by-line list: the most reliable, up-to-date version is the one posted by Morrisons for each branch, and it can change as timelines firm up.
Where can I find the actual store-by-store list? The store finder says “service update” for my branch but no dates. Is Sheffield Meadowhall on the 2025 schedule or later?
This is sadder than it sounds. Those cafés were little breathing spaces between aisles — a pot of tea, a bacon butty, five quiet minutes. I’ll miss the regulars who knew my order. It definately changes how a big shop feels.