Yahoo Finance Greggs Leicester Square to open till 2am despite fears it will be antisocial ‘hotspot’
London’s late-night revellers will be able to stop off at Greggs for bacon baps and coffee as late as 2am, after the bakery chain fought off claims that the “mega-Greggs” would become a hotspot for crime.
Greggs cancelled a planned appeal hearing that had been expected to decide whether it could keep serving hot food at its Leicester Square store for 24 hours, after it reached an agreement with Westminster City Council.
The store – dubbed Mega-Greggs because of the larger size of the flagship site – will now be able to serve hot food including potato wedges and pizza up until 2am.
Chief executive Roisin Currie said this was “over the midnight cusp”. It had aimed to be able to keep the store open round the clock but was forced to row back amid claims that it would become a “hotspot for late-night disturbances and antisocial behaviour”.
The Metropolitan Police had argued that there was “the likely effect of an increase in crime and disorder in the area and an increased demand on police resources which are already stretched”.
Aicha Less, deputy leader of Westminster City Council, said Greggs would be required to have CCTV at the site and door supervisors under the agreement – both steps Greggs had suggested.
It comes amid a wider push at Greggs to open stores later into the evening, having first trialled the step in 2019. The chain is best known for its sausage rolls and breakfast and lunch options.
However, around a quarter of Greggs’ 2,300 stores are now open in the evening, and it is exploring the possibilities of opening a 24-hour drive-through outlet.
In its latest set of results on Tuesday, Greggs said sales had jumped by almost a fifth, as more people turned to the baker for cheap dinner options.
Demand for chicken goujons, wedges and pizza has surged as households face mounting pressure on their finances and hunt around for cheaper deals in the evening.
The chain raised the cost of sausage rolls from £1 at the start of 2022 to £1.20, but said it was not expecting to increase its prices further this year.
Ms Currie told reporters that expanding the range to sell more hot and low-cost options was helping to boost demand. It is preparing to launch a new flatbread range, and has also recently rolled out more vegan options including its Vegan Mexican Chicken-Free Bake.
Ms Currie said: “It’s all about offering that choice, so people can come in more frequently... They can come in time and time again and try lots of different things, as well as their favourites that they love.”
She has previously suggested that the company is aiming to offer plant-based alternatives to every menu item that contains meat.
