Little Chef

Little Chef was a British chain of roadside restaurants; opened in June 1960 by Sam Alper who was inspired by American diners. The chain was famous for the "Olympic Breakfast" – its version of a full English breakfast – as well as its "Early Starter" and "Jubilee Pancakes". The restaurants were mostly located on A roads, often paired with budget hotels and petrol stations. The chain expanded rapidly throughout the 1970s, with its parent company acquiring its only major competitor, Happy Eater, in August 1986. After all Happy Eater locations were converted to the Little Chef fascia in the late 1990s, the chain peaked with 439 restaurants. Little Chef began to face decline in the early 2000s, mainly due to over-expansion, meaning it could not properly invest in all of its locations, as well as competition from fast-food and pub chains. By the end of 2005, almost half of its locations had been closed. In January 2007, the chain was rescued from administration and subsequently reduced to 196 restaurants. This was followed by another closure programme in January 2012 to reduce the chain to 94 restaurants. In February 2017, owners Kout Food Group sold the remaining 70 locations to Euro Garages who converted the buildings into Starbucks, Greggs, Subway or KFC franchises.