Costa Coffee has been gradually reopening branches across the UK since April. The coffee shop has announced 1,100 stores will open by the end of June for drive-thru, takeaway and delivery. New safety measures have now been put in place that must be followed in stores.
Costa has now confirmed a total of 1,100 UK cafes will be open by the end of the month.
This included 325 stores that have opened for takeaway today.
A post on the Costa Coffee Facebook read: “We have a further 325 stores reopening for takeaway today!
“We’ve been working hard to get more open each week so thanks for being patient.”
The coffee chain also confirmed there are 8,400 Costa Express machines in operation in locations such as supermarkets.
CEO of Costa Coffee Jill McDonald said: “We’re delighted to be able to share the news that by the end of June 1,100+ of our stores will re-open for take-away or delivery.
“We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback that we have received from our customers and are pleased to once again be able to serve them our signature, handcrafted coffee.
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“Not only have we been working hard to re-open our stores, but our teams have also ensured that 8,400+ Costa Express machines have been available to serve barista quality, machine crafted coffee to those in need of a fix.”
While customers can soon get their coffee fix, the experience will be very different to what it was before.
Costa Coffee has now revealed the latest safety measures that have been put into place.
These have been updated to protect both staff and customers in branches.
Collection and walk-ins
New protective equipment has been installed in stores and customers need to respect a two-metre distance.
“We have worked hard to make our stores safe and welcoming for customers and our teams,” a statement from Costa said.
“Each store has been equipped with protective equipment, hand sanitiser stations and will continue to operate with contactless payment.
“High-quality Perspex screens have been installed at all counters across take-away stores, with designated pick-up points for delivery and mobile order collections.
“Both inside and outside stores, two-meter floor signs have been carefully placed to adhere to social distancing guidelines.”
Drive-thru
New hatches have been installed to drive-thru windows that will reduce contact between customers and staff.
The statement continued: “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 lockdown measures have continued to relax, many restaurant chains have reopened.
Chains including Starbucks, McDonald’s and Subway have started to open branches.