Interior of the recently refurbed Starbucks lounge at Boship, on the A22. Like Pevensey, this Starbucks has undergone a recent renovation (2023) & has changed from dark wood/black walls to white walls and lighter wood furnishings. This lounge feels much fresher & a lot larger now. This building opened in 1990 as a Little Chef & replaced two other branches either side of Boship roundabout. It was a large Little Chef, which had a Burger King installed in 1996. Sadly, the idea of restaurants by the roadside was beginning to wear off by the early 2010s and this Little Chef was loosing many customers, so it finally permanently closed in 2012. This left the amenity building completely unoccupied. It suffered dereliction, and the interior was in critical condition. EuroGarages then purchased the building in 2013 & began refurbishing it. Boship then reopened as a Starbucks in April. If the amenity building was built larger originally, EG would have done a different type of refurb whereby they transform the interior into a “mini food court” with multiple brands, such as Burger King, Greggs & Subway, and a small communal seating area, like Ilminster. It’s a nice spacious Starbucks lounge which will easily accommodate larger crowds. It was spotlessly clean and very tidy. Aesthetically pleasing for sure. Starbucks labelling themselves as an “upmarket” coffee outlet is partly the reason they don’t tend to share food courts with other brands. Even at Welcome Break services, you’ll notice Starbucks lounges are very separate from the food court. EG’s nationwide purchasing of former Little Chef buildings has helped Starbucks become a well-known name to the British roadside, along with Welcome Break. The main negative customers have about Starbucks is their rapid price inflation, which has been an issue of theirs for years. Prices are set by the franchisee at Starbucks, & EG’s ones tend to inflate their prices due to their stores being in high demand by main roads. Some customers are put off by the inflation and take their custom to the adjacent Greggs. Starbucks was basically empty during my visit due to the early time of day. This place, especially during the summer holidays, gets crowded during the day. Photos are always so much easier to take when quiet! Starbucks is advertised at various points around the site & is signposted from both the A22 Northbound and Southbound, so customers know it’s here.

Photo taken on 12/08/2024 by Tom Moon.

Assigned to galleries: Boship, Starbucks, EG Group, A22