Caffè Nero to open first 24-hour drive-through site

Caffè Nero is to open its first-ever 24-hour drive-through store at London Stansted Airport this spring.

Over £1.2m has been invested into the site, which will be located 500-yards from the terminal building on the main road in and out of the airport.

The 1,200 sq ft café has been built from scratch with a bespoke design and will create 16 new jobs. It will offer EV charging as well as parking for visiting customers.

The opening will build on Caffè Nero’s existing partnership with Stansted Airport and expand its total number of stores at the airport to five.

Gerry Ford, Caffè Nero’s group chief executive, said: “I didn’t want to open such a store until we found a location had a format where we could offer a premium experience, combined with the convenience you would look for in a drive-through. Our partnership with Stansted Airport allowed us to achieve just that.

“This store is an experiment for us. It allows Caffè Nero to expand its store format, and it will be the template for further drive through stores in the future”.

A growing number of restaurant operators are turning to drive-through sites in a bid to capture customers on the move.

Caffè Nero’s coffee chain rivals Costa and Starbucks both entered the drive-through market in the UK over a decade ago, while Greggs and Leon have launched sites in the last three years.

North-American chains Popeyes, Wendy’s and Tim Hortons have all opened drive-through restaurants since 2021 as part of their UK expansion plans.

The Nero Group operates more than 620 cafes across the UK and employs over 6,500 people.

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