Coronation Street fans have been left horrified after the price of a pie shot up at Roy's Rolls, with one viewer writing: 'Roy Cropper has officially joined the 1%.' The longstanding café reopened following a devastating fire earlier this year.
Roy's Rolls Reopens with Higher Prices
The café, owned and operated by Roy Cropper (played by David Neilson) on the ITV soap for almost 30 years, has long offered traditional greasy spoon fare like fried breakfasts, sandwiches, tea, coffee, and cakes. However, after a fire ripped through the premises earlier this year, Roy was saved from the blaze, managing to salvage a few precious mementos from his wedding to the late Hayley Cropper, but the building itself required extensive repairs.
When Roy's Rolls reopened in scenes aired earlier this week, the interiors remained unchanged, as Roy insisted. Yet eagle-eyed viewers quickly spotted one significant alteration: the price of a plate of pie, chips, and mushy peas. Previously priced at £5.50, the specials board now listed the dish at £6.95—a hike of more than 25%.
Fan Reactions to the Price Increase
Reacting to the price hike, one fan wrote on X: 'Roy Cropper has officially joined the 1%. £1.45 price hike just because he put in some new lightbulbs. Capitalism has reached the cobbles.' Another commented: 'I know inflation is bad, but Roy’s Rolls is now charging London prices for mushy peas. Absolute scenes!' A third added: 'Weatherfield has officially been gentrified. One fire and suddenly Roy thinks he’s opening a gastropub in Didsbury. Next he’ll be charging £4 for artisanal sourdough toast.'
History of the Café
The backstreet café has been a permanent fixture on the soap for decades. Before Roy arrived, Dawson’s Cafe operated on Rosamund Street in the late 1970s, followed by Jim's Cafe, run by Jim Sedgewick and later his wife Alma (Amanda Barrie) and Gail Tilsey (Helen Worth). After his debut in 1995, Roy became an employee and eventually bought the café, renaming it Roy's Rolls. In 1999, he moved the entire premises to Victoria Street, where it remains today.
Contrast with Viaduct Bistro Prices
Conversely, fans were equally surprised to discover the affordable cocktail prices at the Viaduct Bistro. A cocktail menu revealed a mojito for £5.50, an apple thyme martini for £5.75, and a Viaduct Vista (rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream) for the same price. One fan joked on Reddit: 'Makes me nostalgic for a time when going out was reasonable and affordable—back in the 90s!' Another said: 'Quite like the sound of a Viaduct Vista. Quite like those prices too! Chin chin!'
