Waitrose takes action after driver crashes into cafe

The incident happened at the chain’s Botley Road store at the end of last month but the smashed cafe window remains boarded up.

A member of staff said the driver’s foot may have slipped as he was parking the car, leading to the accident.

READ MORE: Waitrose issues new customer notice on free coffee

He said: “I believe the front of the vehicle came into the cafe. It was lucky no one inside was sitting in front of that window at the time.

“The car parking spaces for Blue Badge holders are directly outside the cafe, so I think he must have been a Blue Badge holder.

“Luckily he wasn’t hurt – just a bit shocked. A couple of days later he was back, driving a brand new car.”

The boarded up window at Botley Road Waitrose (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The staff member said he did not know how long it would be before the cafe window was fixed.

Several spaces for Blue Badge holders are near the store entrance. The scheme helps people with severe mobility problems to park close to where they need to go.

Last month, customers at the Botley Road store were upset when the coffee machine broke. It provides free coffee for those with Waitrose cards.

One of the coffee dispensers was broken for about a week and was then fixed, before it broke again.

A customer notice fixed to the front of the coffee dispensers said at the time: “Sorry, we are unable to serve hot drinks at the moment because our coffee machine is out of order.

“Please ask a partner (member of staff) if you require assistance.”

Both coffee dispensers have now been fixed.

The Waitrose chain, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, restored its free coffee offer in January 2025.

Customers no longer need to make a purchase to access a free coffee, provided they own a Waitrose card.