The Ardrossan branch was a former Little Chef located on the A78 road near Irvine, Scotland.
Address and Onsite Facilities[]
ADDRESS: A78, Ardrossan, Ayshire, KA22 8PG
ONSITE FACILITIES: Rowan Tree Restaurant and Garden Centre
History[]
Opened between 1968 and 1972, Ardrossan Little Chef was situated on the main Ayr to Greenock route, trading as a standalone restaurant. Its location on the Firth of Clyde provided diners with a fantastic view towards the Isle of Arran.
Ardrossan's claim to fame was that it was the first Little Chef to have opened in Scotland, as well as the only Little Chef to have opened on the A78. It was a location well chosen by Forte as not only was it located on a single carriageway route, providing access to all traffic, but it was also located nearby to the ferry port in Ardrossan, popular with tourists travelling to Arran, therefore the restaurant was likely to be a hit with holidaymakers and tourists.
In 2002, Little Chef was sold by then owners, Compass Catering, to new owners Permira, along with Travelodge. At this time, there was a cull of sites with some older, standalone sites closing and unfortunately Ardrossan was one of the casualties. The Little Chef later reopened as a garden centre with a cafe.