Sainsbury’s has revealed that 200 of its cafes will close this week, with only three of Greater Manchester's staying open. We reported last month how the company proposed to close the sites in the spring as part of a shake-up of its in-store dining.
The company listed the 67 stores where cafes would remain open - the three local ones being Hazel Grove, Cheadle and Denton. It means that cafes at other stores in the region, including those at Heaton Park and Wigan, will close and the retailer has confirmed they will shut this Friday, April 22.
Around 2,000 staff members have been consulted on the move, but it's not known how many jobs are impacted. A spokeswoman for the retailer told us that staff in the cafes that are closing would be 'prioritised' for alternative jobs within the company.
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In the meantime Sainsbury's has also been consulting staff about plans to close less popular hot food counters in 34 stores and changes to how it runs bakeries in 54 branches. Its decision to close the cafes is a part of a wider move to transform its dining, takeaway and home delivery food and drink offer from stores.
Following a successful trial at its branch in Selly Oak, Birmingham, it plans to open 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. And it also plans to open 30 Starbucks sites in its supermarkets, as it seeks to overhaul its offer across 250 stores over the next three years.
A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: "Last month, we confirmed we’re set to transform our eat-in, takeaway and home delivery food and drink offer through new food halls in partnership with Boparan Restaurant Group and cafes with Starbucks. As part of this, some of our cafes will close by the end of this month and we will keep colleagues and customers updated on our plans."
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