John Lewis scraps instore cafe brand for major upgrade

Platter John Lewis will replace the long-standing The Place To Eat brand across 32 cafés, including the one at Westgate Oxford.

The first refurbished spaces will reopen from this month.

The investment forms part of John Lewis’ £800m multi-year investment in its brand, stores and customer experience, as the retailer focuses on giving customers even more reasons to visit, meet and spend time in its stores.

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Refurbishment work has started in three John Lewis stores, with Chichester, Reading and Oxford Street, London, the first branches to undergo investment.

A Place to Eat at John Lewis (Image: Ed Burnett)

The scale of change will vary from store to store, with Oxford Street receiving the most extensive revamp

The Oxford Street restaurant will reopen in early August as the flagship Platter John Lewis, following a 13-week transformation.

All 32 cafés will be refurbished and rebranded by the end of 2027.

There are 62 cafés and restaurants across the store estate, with hospitality accounting for more than 20 per cent of John Lewis in-store transactions.

A Place to Eat at John Lewis (Image: Ed Burnett)

Katie Papakonstantinou, director of services and hospitality for John Lewis, said: “Customers are spending more time in our shops, and food and drink is an increasingly important part of that experience.

“Platter John Lewis will give customers a more modern, welcoming place to pause, meet and enjoy something delicious while they shop.

“This is an exciting investment in our hospitality offer and an important part of how we’re making John Lewis shops even better places to visit.

“We’re pleased to get the first refurbishments underway and look forward to opening our flagship at Oxford Street this summer.”

John Lewis at Westgate Oxford (Image: John Lewis Partnership)

John Lewis has linked up with hospitality specialist Benugo to transform and operate the new restaurants.

The partnership builds on an existing 10-year relationship with Benugo, which already runs cafés under its own name in 10 John Lewis stores.

Platter John Lewis will sit alongside the retailer’s wider hospitality offer, which includes Benugo, Ori cafés, Huffkins tea rooms, Jamie Oliver Cafe and Kamakura at Oxford Street.

While offering a refreshed menu, Platter will keep John Lewis customer favourites, as well as popular My John Lewis membership offers such as free hot drinks and cake.

John Lewis opened as the anchor store at Westgate Oxford when it relaunched in 2017 following a £440m revamp, which included 100 new shops and restaurants, including some at the centre’s rooftop terrace.

It is now the city’s only remaining department store, following the closure of family-run Boswells in 2020, and the closure of Debenhams in early 2021.

The space occupied by Boswells on the corner of Cornmarket and Broad Street is now occupied by The Store hotel, while the former Debenhams in Magdalen Street is to become a £125m lab space overseen by The Crown Estate.

John Lewis Partnership owns the Waitrose supermarket chain.