Costa Coffee has called time on one of its beloved high street stores in south England.
Loyal customers of the coffee shop in Lyndhurst, the New Forest, saw the cafe pull down the shutters for the final time on Friday, January 31.
It rounded off an incredibly busy month for store closures across the UK, with shoppers in nearby Bournemouth affected by the closure of a WHSmith store earlier in January.
As for those in Lyndhurst, however, Costa Coffee’s departure from the local high street has struck a chord as it follows a string of recent closures.
A spokesperson for Costa told local news outlets: “We can confirm that our franchise-owned Costa Coffee store in Lyndhurst is closing its doors for trade on Friday, with team members looking to be redeployed to nearby stores.”
Customers have been redirected to their nearest Costa branch in the Totton shopping centre.
However, it’s not easy for those without access to a car to make the 5.7-mile journey towards Southampton. According to Google Maps, it takes 29 minutes via public transport or one hour and 56 minutes on foot.
There are several other cafes on Lyndhurst High Street, but it hasn’t stopped fans of the coffee chain from sharing their disappointment about the closure.
In fact, reviews of Costa have seen it branded the best in town. One person said, “I have tried all 16 coffee shops in Lyndhurst, but this is my favourite, and I tell you why. The coffee is of fine quality, as is the size. Other places charge much more for smaller. Sometimes, as a bonus, I buy cake or sandwiches, and sometimes, these are on special offer.”
Another person chimed: “Nice, friendly staff, drinks and food of the usual Costa standard. 5/5 for a Costa. Independent places have more atmosphere, but this is as good as any Costa I’ve been to.”
Chair of the parish council, councillor Chris Willsher, told the New Milton Advertiser and Lymington Times: “Costa will be missed by many residents, and we are saddened to see the closure of another business in Lyndhurst.
“The premises occupy a central position in the High Street – we hope they will not remain empty for long.”
Chris alluded to the closure of Lyndhurst’s Prezzo branch, which shut in 2023, and The New Forest Butcher, which ceased trading just before Christmas in the same year. As for other chains, Lloyds Bank exited Lyndhurst high street in 2022.
Costa has not announced plans to close any other sites in 2025, though two other UK branches were closed temporarily in January.
The Blackpool Victoria Hospital Costa Coffee closed for refurbishment on January 25, 2025. It is expected to reopen on February 24, 2025, at 7am with a new design.
A hospital spokesman assured visitors that there “are plenty of options” on-site for hot and cold food and drinks.
The smaller of two Costa branches at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, closed on January 4, and work started on Monday, January 6.
A statement from North Bristol NHS Trust said the work formed part of a wider project to improve the retail facilities inside the Brunel building, and the site was reopened by the end of January 2025.