M&S is preparing a £300m store revamp that will see several in‑house cafés disappear, replaced by speedier food formats, bigger grocery zones and new click‑and‑collect hubs. The latte-and-a-scone ritual meets a leaner, sharper Marks & Spencer.
The hiss of the steamer was the first thing I heard, then the scrape of a chair as a regular nudged it back with the ease of someone who knows exactly where the crumbs hide; a hand‑written notice by the till read “Change is coming,” and nobody, not even the barista with oat milk on their sleeve, seemed sure whether to laugh or sigh. At 10.17 on a rainy weekday, the café at a city‑centre M&S felt like a waiting room for the British day: grandparents splitting a teacake, a student nursing a cappuccino, two colleagues dividing a pastel de nata with forensic care. A manager walked past with a tape measure, eyeing the banquette as if it were prime real estate. This isn’t just about coffee.
The café cull and the £300m pivot
M&S is pulling up chairs in some cafés as part of a £300m shake‑up, shifting square footage to bigger Foodhalls, faster grab‑and‑go counters and service zones designed for online orders. The aim is blunt: more speed, more food, more reasons to visit in a week where your time is chopped into emails and school runs. **The company is reallocating space from sit‑down cafés to formats that turn around sales quicker and fit how people actually shop now.**
Take a mid‑sized store on a commuter belt high street: the café shutters go down, and within weeks the space reopens as a brighter bakery window, a sushi kiosk and a hot counter with rotisserie chickens humming behind glass. Regulars still wander in at 11, only now their latte becomes a flat white taken on a bench nearby, and the teacake turns into a warm cheese twist. Staff say the after‑work rush stretches longer, because people can grab dinner in five minutes and still make the train.
There’s logic behind the shift if you trace the pounds and pence. Cafés are staff‑heavy, energy‑hungry and depend on dwell time, while Foodhall lines and take‑away counters can move faster with fewer hands and steadier margins. Shoppers also rebuilt habits after lockdowns, favouring quick stops, online returns and short, purposeful trips. M&S wants to be the destination for that sprint: a place where you fix supper, pick up a click‑and‑collect parcel, return a dress, and glide out with a bag of mini Colin the Caterpillars for the road.
How to shop smarter as the revamp rolls out
Scout before you sip. Check the M&S Store Finder the night before, search “café” on the listing, and map a back‑up coffee stop in a two‑minute radius if your branch is in refresh mode. Use the Sparks app to lock in offers, then time your visit for the new rhythm: mid‑morning lulls for quieter Foodhalls, late afternoon for faster hot counters. **Your smartest move is to treat the store like a 20‑minute mission: in, fed, sorted, gone.**
Ask at the door what’s moved and what’s coming, because signage can lag the refit by a day. Keep a reusable cup in your bag so you can pivot to take‑away without losing heat. If you’re meeting a friend, bag two seats in the window of the Foodhall mezzanine if your branch has them, or wander to a nearby square and make a mini‑picnic of it. Let’s be honest: nobody does that every day.
We’ve all had that moment where a favourite corner vanishes overnight, leaving you holding a tray and a memory; change lands better when you know where to stand next.
“We’re rebalancing space to food and services customers use most, while keeping a great coffee experience where it fits,” says one store lead with a laser pointer’s focus and a smile that tries to soften it.
- Check café status on the store page before you travel.
- Use grab‑and‑go for a quick hot lunch and avoid the midday crush.
- Head to the bakery window first: the lines turn fastest and sell out early.
- Click‑and‑collect? Pick after 4pm when queues thin.
- Ask staff about quiet corners still open for a sit‑down.
What it means for your basket, your break, and the high street
The café closures feel personal because cafés are where small rituals live, where the day breathes and the shopping list loosens round the edges. At the same time, a bigger Foodhall means more choice at dinner, more fresh bread at 5pm, and fewer long queues that snake past the cheese. **If the £300m refit delivers what M&S wants, you’ll spend less time waiting and more time eating something you actually fancied.** The trade‑off is comfort versus convenience: fewer mugs on saucers, more cups with lids, and a store that behaves like a service hub as much as a grocer. The high street bends with it. Some cafés will stay, especially in flagship or community‑heavy branches, while others become seating‑lite islands. What’s left is a question for how we like to shop when our days feel too full and our pockets don’t stretch as they did.
| Key points | Details | Interest for reader |
|---|---|---|
| Cafés axed in selected stores | Space repurposed to Foodhall, grab‑and‑go, and service zones | Know if your usual coffee stop is changing and where to sit instead |
| £300m revamp focuses on speed | Bigger fresh ranges, faster counters, more self‑checkout and returns hubs | Quicker trips, better evening choice, fewer queues |
| Digital‑first shopping flow | Sparks app offers, click‑and‑collect timings, store locator for café status | Plan smarter, save time, avoid wasted journeys |
FAQ :
- Which M&S cafés are closing?It varies by location and store format; check your branch page on the M&S Store Finder for live status.
- Will every café disappear?No. Flagship sites and selected community stores are expected to keep cafés where they work for footfall and layout.
- What’s replacing the café in my store?Common swaps include a larger bakery, hot food counters, sushi or deli kiosks, and extra space for Foodhall staples.
- Does this mean lower prices?Not directly, though a leaner layout can cut costs and help M&S invest in value and promotions via Sparks.
- Where do I sit if there’s no café?Look for small seating nooks near bakery windows, use nearby public seating, or take your cup to a local square or park.
RIP the teacake ritual.
So the latte becomes a sprint finish: grab a rotisserie, pick up click‑and‑collect, and eat on the go 🙂 Farewell crumbs on the banquette—hello park‑bench board meetings. At least the sushi kiosk sounds fun!