Coffee giant with 2,700 shops confirms closure in UK village on May 15 | UK | News
A major coffee chain has confirmed that its branch in a village in England will soon be closed. The cafe has been serving the local community for the last 11 years but will close permanently on Friday 15 May.
Costa Coffee has announced it is closing its site at Hale Barns, near Altrincham, Greater Manchester, despite recent expansion plans that include around 40 new drive-throughs and a further 14 locations inside Sainsbury’s. The chain operates more than 2,700 locations across the country, but the closest Costa Coffee to Hale Barns will now be at Manchester Airport. The company did not disclose the reason for the closure, but it was confirmed that staff would be assigned to other regions.
A Costa spokesman said: Reporter: “We can confirm that our Costa Coffee store at The Square at Hale Barns will close on Friday 15 May 2026. This was not an easy decision and we would like to thank our customers for their support over the years. All of our talented team members have been redeployed to other Costa Coffee stores.”
The cafe, which covers an area of 1,500 square meters and can serve 57 customers inside and 24 customers outside, was opened in February 2015. It was created as part of a wider £30 million redevelopment of the previous shopping site.
But the sudden closure was confirmed last week and means the end of the chain’s only cafe in the area. A number of locals reacted to the news, with one saying on Facebook: “Can’t believe this, not Costa but an Asda…..sign of the times…”
A second person wrote: “There’s nothing left in the square anymore, what a shame.”
Third: “I heard that the landlord increased the rent by a large amount.”
The closure comes as Costa Coffee continues to expand across the UK, focusing on drive-through facilities and its partnership with Sainsbury’s. The chain is opening more than 14 new in-store cafes at Sainsbury’s and plans to introduce up to 40 new drive-throughs this year following the opening of its 400th location.
Meanwhile, a £3.5 million investment project is planned to improve facilities across London. Some cafes will also benefit from the creation of self-service kiosks and in-store seating areas.
