Costa drive thru unit at Clacket Lane Eastbound, located between the M25 and the car park. Its location means customers don’t have to pass the amenity building at all, they simply leave the M25 at the services exit and continue in a straight line. It’s a typical maroon coloured kiosk which is small and solely serves food to takeaway (unlike some Welcome Break Starbucks drive Thrus which obtain seating inside). This drive thru isn’t open 24 hrs a day, meaning once it’s closed, customers will have to use the lounge in the amenity building. Roadchef began rolling out Costa Drive thrus across their sites in July 2016, meaning this will likely be from late 2016. In order to construct this drive thru, Roadchef wouldn’t have had to change the road layout of the site much as it occupies a small strip of land. Its a good idea as customers can purchase Costa products without entering the amenity building, which comes with many positives, such as it prevents the inside of the amenity building from overcrowding during peak times and benefits those in a rush/not wishing to use any other facility Clacket Lane East offers. Most motorway services now include a coffee drive thru facility and the idea began at Strensham North in 2003. Despite its innovative design & popularity, drive thru coffee shops didn’t open anywhere else for the next 9 years. This Costa Drive thru does take some trade from the lounge indoors, but brings more trade to the site in general without making the place seem overcrowded as businesses are more spread out. My photo also evidences the rural location of Clacket Lane Services. You’d be surprised it’s so close to London given the large amounts of greenery and space around the site. This area of Surrey/Kent is rural and quaint, so designing Clacket Lane was based off that. Costa Drive Thru was moderately busy during my visit, which was conducted during lunchtime (a busy time at all motorway services). The lounge inside was probably busier. Costa is signposted from the M25 Eastbound as a drive thru so customers are aware of this facility and the location of this drive thru is made clear immediately to all road users as it’s accurately marked on the entry slip road/advertised lots around the site.

Photo taken on 05/04/2024 by Tom Moon.

Assigned to galleries: Clacket Lane, Roadchef, M25, Costa Drive Thru