John Lewis has announced a major shake-up of its in-store cafés, scrapping the long-running 'The Place To Eat' brand and replacing it with a new concept called Platter John Lewis. The overhaul will affect 32 cafés nationwide, with the first three—Chichester, Reading and Oxford Street—set to reopen later this month.
The flagship restaurant at the London Oxford Street branch will undergo the biggest transformation, reopening in August after a 13-week refurbishment. All 32 cafés are expected to be redesigned and rebranded by the end of 2027.
The retailer highlighted that hospitality now accounts for more than 20% of all in-store transactions, with food and drink sales rising by nearly 10% over the past year. The revamped Platter cafés will feature refreshed menus while retaining popular customer favourites and existing My John Lewis perks, including free cake and hot drink offers.
Katie Papakonstantinou, Director of Services & Hospitality for John Lewis, said: 'Platter John Lewis will give customers a more modern, welcoming place to pause, meet and enjoy something delicious while they shop.' The retailer has partnered with hospitality operator Benugo for the relaunch, which already runs cafés inside 10 John Lewis stores.
The new Platter brand will sit alongside John Lewis’s wider food offering, which includes Benugo cafés, Jamie Oliver Café, Huffkins tea rooms and Kamakura at Oxford Street. The investment forms part of John Lewis’s wider £800 million plan to improve stores, customer experience and its overall brand.
