Lost Little Chef restaurants we loved and what replaced them

Certain generations will remember the excitement of pulling off the motorway to visit US inspired diner, Little Chef. It was back in 1958 that the first branch opened on Oxford Road in Reading and from there became an institution in the UK.

Famous for their Olympic Breakfasts, which was their take on a full English, Little Chef boasted an extensive menu. Through the years, customers could enjoy everything from Jubilee Pancakes to sirloin steak, toasted sandwiches and even a dedicated children's menu.

At its prime the roadside restaurant had 439 branches across the motorways and A-roads of the UK. In its time, Little Chefs popped up in Bebington, Eastham, Haydock, Maghull, Widnes and Ellesmere Port, with hungry drivers being pleased to see the red and white logo come into sight., the ECHO previously reported.

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The restaurant chain's success continued into the 1980s and its parent company acquired its only major roadside competitor, the Happy Eater, which saw all of its sites converted into Little Chefs by the late 90s. However, in the early 2000s the restaurant's fortunes started to decline and by the end of October 2018, all remaining Little Chef restaurants had closed and been converted into new franchises.

It's now been years since we visited a Little Chef, so we've taken another look back at the sites in and around Merseyside and what replaced them. This list isn't intended to be comprehensive - but see which former Little Chefs you remember in our list below.

Haydock

The Haydock restaurant sat on the A580 westbound and is understood to have opened around 1989. It opened alongside a petrol station and a Travelodge - which still remains today.

This particular Little Chef was typical in design and had pitched roof, double front and red brick. Due to its location, the restaurant was very popular and was one of the more successful Little Chef's in the country.

It also had a number of additions, including a Little Chef Coffee Stop in the 90s and an extension was also built to house a Burger King. This closed in the mid 2000s, however was reopened again by new owners Kout Food Group in 2013.

In 2002, the Haydock branch received the "New Choices" makeover, which included new furniture and access to menus from Harry Ramsdens, Upper Crust, Wiseguys Pizza and Caffe Ritazza. The outside of the Haydock Little Chef also appeared on Peter Kay's sitcom Max and Paddy's road to nowhere. Sadly, this branch closed in 2018. It was converted into a EG Diner.

However, this was not to last and in May 2018 the EG Diner and Burger King closed its doors. The building was later demolished and a Starbucks drive-thru was built on the grounds in September 2019.

Widnes

The Widnes branch stood on Fiddlers Ferry Road and took over the building which was originally a Happy Eater. This restaurant was also one of the first Happy Eater's to become a Little Chef.

Happy Eater was a chain of restaurants in England and Wales founded by Sir Michael Pickard in 1973. The chain wanted to compete with Little Chef at the time.

However, Little Chef would end up absorbing Happy Eater in 1997. By the end of that year, all Happy Eater restaurants were either converted or closed, helping Little Chef reach its peak of 439 restaurants.

Eventually, a Burger King would also be built on the site. Back in 2004, a fire broke out at the chain restaurant after a faulty light fitting sparked off a blaze.

At the time a Little Chef spokesperson said it was unclear when it was going to reopen and would look to re-employ all staff to other restaurants. The Widnes branch closed in 2005 and was eventually demolished. A Travelodge remains on the site.

Maghull

Located on the A59 Northway in Maghull, this Little Chef branch opened between 1980 and 1982. Drivers coming off Switch Island, the junction of the M57 and M58 motorways would visit the restaurant for a bite to eat.

The Maghull Little Chef operated until around 2005 before it closed its doors to customers. Motor Range took over the site and the former Little Chef building was used as a Motor Range Café.

However, this too eventually closed and the site became an Aldi store which opened in April 2022.

Ellesmere Port

This branch was situated on the A540 Parkgate Road. Two Mills in Ledsham near Ellesmere Port. It opened around 1983, where many visitors coming from Wales, Chester and the Wirral enjoyed visiting the roadside restaurant.

In 2005, this particular Little Chef closed. It was transformed into a Mini Dealership and remains as this store to this day.

Eastham

This Little Chef on the A41 near Eastham opened around 1974 in what appeared to be a converted house. Despite this restaurant being located in Eastham, it was known as the Bebington branch.

The opening of this particular restaurant also coincided with the opening of the M53 motorway which opened a couple of years earlier in 1972. The Little Chef restaurant was also beside junction 5 of the motorway, which meant drivers could easily get to it to enjoy a Olympic Breakfast or pancakes.

The branch closed in 2012 when the then owners R capital announced it was closing 67 "underperforming" restaurants. Euro Garages bought the building in 2013 and transformed the building into a Starbucks.

It remains as the coffee chain today. But many still have fond memories of Little Chef in Merseyside and beyond.