London / UK. (ccl) British Costa Limited, since January 2019 part of the Coca-Cola Company, has begun trialling an eat-in option in 44 of its UK stores since Thursday 09 July 2020. With 2000+ Costa Coffee stores re-opening by the end of July, the trialling of eat-in across 44 selected UK locations will allow customers the option to sit in, relax and enjoy their favourite hand-crafted coffee once again.
Costa Coffee will then look to reintroduce an eat-in option across a further 1,000 stores by the end of the month following feedback and adjusting our operations in line with strict government guidelines. Seating will be limited and operate on a first come, first served basis.
Keeping customers safe
Upon arrival customers will be greeted by a Costa Coffee team member and if choosing to eat-in, will be allocated a table specifically for their use ahead of being guided to the counter to place their order behind a Perspex screen. If a table is not available, the customer will be encouraged to use the take-away service or wait outside the store until a table becomes free.
Designated tables will be placed two metres apart, except for seated customers who can be 1m+ when side by side or back to back. Any seating out of service will be clearly marked.
Costa Coffee will also be following government guidelines and taking the details of customers who wish to eat in their stores. They will be doing this by utilising technology to keep customers data secure, which can then be shared with the NHS for the purpose of Track + Trace if necessary.
Take-away or delivery?
Both inside and outside stores, floor vinyls have been carefully placed to adhere to social distancing guidelines and high-quality Perspex screens have been installed at all counters, with designated pick-up points for delivery and mobile order collections.
With all drive-thru lanes now open across drive-thru sites, bespoke one of a kind serving hatches have been designed for Costa Coffee to ensure customers can collect their order with no contact. These cleverly designed hatches, which lower items from the service hatch down to customer’s vehicles, have a built-in acrylic hygiene screen to provide maximum protection for both customers and Costa Coffee team members.
As with current procedures across take-away stores, hand sanitiser stations will be made available for customers to use, and all team members will be provided with personal protective equipment.
Neil Lake, Managing Director of Costa Coffee UK+I, said: «We are delighted to safely welcome customers back into our stores offering them the option to sit and enjoy their favourite perfectly handcrafted Costa Coffee, as we begin to trial eat in across a selected number of our stores.
«With safety remaining our number one priority, our eat-in trial has been designed in line with Government guidelines and will test the enhanced safety and operating measures we’ve implemented. Feedback on our stores re-opening has been overwhelming positive and we are grateful for the hard work of our store teams and the patience of our customers as we do this.
«We look forward to welcoming more customers back to the seating areas of our stores soon.»
Want a free perfectly crafted cup of coffee?
Earlier this week the brand announced that it was welcoming back customers with a free perfectly hand-crafted drink of their choice when they register with the Costa Coffee Club mobile app, so coffee lovers can now enjoy their favourite drink in the comfort of a warm and welcoming Costa Coffee store.
The offer is available to both current Costa Coffee Club members and newly registered users. Both will receive 300 extra points, the equivalent of £3, which they can spend on a drink of their choice in any participating Costa Coffee store across the UK. The free coffee offer is open to anyone 16+ years from Monday 6th July 2020, with points valid for 12 months from activation.
