Sainsbury’s shuts 200 cafes

SUPERMARKET giant Sainsbury’s is shutting 200 of its cafés – in a major blow to around 2,000 workers.

It comes as the retailer is also consulting staff over plans to close its 34 least-popular hot-food counters and change the way it runs 54 in-store bakeries.

The 200 cafés will close within weeks and the company has published a list revealing which cafes are to survive the cull.

The Leek store, on Churnet Way, is on the list as well as the outlet in Nantwich.

But the Sainsbury’s cafés in Stoke, Biddulph and Newcastle have not survived the axe.

It comes as the cafés have only just reopened following the coronavirus lockdowns.

Affected workers will be prioritised for vacant roles in stores and be encouraged to apply for jobs elsewhere in the business.

The remaining 67 in-store cafés will stay open while the company reviews changes to its dining operations.

Its decision to close the cafés is part of a wider move to transform its dining, takeaway and home delivery food and drink offer from stores.

The retailer said it is also opening 30 more restaurant hubs in stores in partnership with Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), which runs the Caffe Carluccio’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Ed’s Diner and Slim Chickens brands.

The business said it will also open 30 Starbucks sites across its supermarkets, as it seeks to overhaul its offer across 250 stores over the next three years.simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s chief executive officer, said: “As we go through this period of transition, we have taken the difficult decision to close 200 of our cafés next month.

“We have spoken to all colleagues affected by these changes and are absolutely committed to supporting them in any way we can during this uncertain time.

“Of course, we understand this is very unsettling for our colleagues, but we must keep adapting our business to make sure we are offering customers the best possible food and drink at affordable prices. We are totally focused on improving what we can deliver for our customers and at the same time, working hard to make our business simpler.

“We are really excited about this new customer offer we will be rolling out over the next two to three years across many of our stores.”