A major supermarket in the UK has announced some crucial changes to more than half of its cafes. The move is a part of a £10 million investment programme to revamp the customer experience.
Around 180 cafes at Asda will be expanding their menus, it has been reported. The project is led by catering firm Compass, which manages the sites. According to the officials, the work will begin this month and is expected to be completed by the end of October. Asda said the upgrades will introduce a “new look and feel,” featuring enhancements like digital ordering screens, a table service option, and a staffed checkout.
The new menu will see interesting dishes including smashed avocado on toast, katsu chicken curry, topped salad bowls, wraps and a new sharing range that includes nachos and loaded fries.
Freshly made pizzas, currently available at in-store counters, will also be added to the café menu, reports Lancashire Telegraph.
It has recently promised its biggest price cuts for 25 years under returning boss Allan Leighton, in a bid to revive the languishing chain.
Ian McEvans, vice president of commercial food at Asda, said it has “continued to demonstrate our commitment to our cafés over the years” such as with its “kids eat for £1” meal deal.
He added that cafés were “an important part of the shopping experience for any of our customers”
Sainsbury’s has permanently closed its in-store cafés following the announcement of 61 shutdowns earlier this year.
The UK’s second-largest supermarket said most customers rarely used the cafés, while food stalls and branded concessions have seen a rise in demand.
Meanwhile, Morrisons is also axing 52 cafés, along with several meat, fish, and hot food counters—part of a broader strategy it described as essential to “renew and reinvigorate” the business and refocus on areas that “customers really value.”