Esso filling stations may get on-site cafés
Oil Giant Exxon Mobil is looking at bringing its On The Run Café brand to Esso petrol stations in the UK.
Exxon launched On The Run cafés in the USA in August 2000, offering the likes of sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken and coffee. The food can be take-away or eat-in.
On The Run made its debut in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has since been expanded rapidly throughout the world, including sites in Chile, Canada, Singapore and Ireland, where the first café opened in August 2002.
A spokeswoman for Exxon confirmed the company was looking at the success of the Ireland sites with a view to testing convenience stores with cafés in the UK.
But she said no specific sites had yet been identified from its 1,400-strong UK Esso portfolio, 850 of which are company owned.
Exxon Mobil will have a hard job catching up with rival BP in the UK.
BP has already introduced Wild Bean Cafés in 82 of its 590 company-owned UK forecourt sites, complete with stalls and high-level "grazing tables".
Seventy-two of the cafés offer hot food, while the rest only sell hot drinks.
BP plans to have 300 Wild Bean Cafés by 2005.
by Andrew Don
