Motorway dining has never been quite the same since Little Chef met its demise.
Those of a certain age will remember well stopping off at the iconic eatery for a little respite and nourishment during long car journeys in the 1980s and 1990s.
The once ubiquitous roadside restaurant empire had a footprint near almost every major motorway and A road in the UK - including two restaurants on the fringes of Edinburgh.
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The capital's first Little Chef opened at Dreghorn in 1989, which tied up nicely with the completion of the Edinburgh City Bypass. This was followed in 1995 by another Little Chef at the Musselburgh end of the bypass. Both Edinburgh restaurants were accompanied by a Travelodge and a Burger King and were near to petrol stations.
Designed to emulate the classic American roadside diner, Little Chef first came into being way back in 1958, when the first restaurant opened in Reading with just 11 seats. Within a matter of 20 years, the business had grown into one of the largest restaurant chains in Britain.
Little Chef was famous for dishing up quality British fare at a reasonable price. The chain struck gold by coming up with their hugely-popular Olympic Breakfast, which was a essentially a full breakfast in the Little Chef style.
Other popular options on the extensive menu included sirloin steak, toasted sandwiches, and even a dedicated children's menu with choices like crispy fish fingers and French fried potatoes. Little Chef also became known for its Early Starter menu and delicious Jubilee Pancakes.
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The restaurant's classic menu is still fondly remembered, as is its tradition of providing complimentary newspapers to guests. In 2021, a thread appeared on social news website Reddit asking for people's memories of Little Chef.
Dpr60 said they went to Little Chef to "marvel at the carpet" and worship the breakfast, adding: "It was a temple to the glorious fry up, especially when you’re hungover."
Ellienagain also reminisced: "There was one that overlooked the sea about half way from my house to my grandmother’s so we would stop there on our way home. I remember having gammon steak or American pancakes. Fun times."
Frusciantifango said: "Yeah...I think I used to get the 'Space Chef's Grill' as a kid. Seem to remember the fried bread being literally a deep fried slice of bread and I loved it."
While Gohugatree posted: "Rare occasions, a very special treat. I always wanted to try their cherry pancake with ice cream but I was never allowed… I determined that when I grew up I would go and order one. But they went bust before then, I was fated to never try their cherry pancake."
Sadly, in the early 2000s the restaurant's fortunes started to decline. Too rapid expansion plus the conversion of single carriageway A-roads into dual carriageways were said to be part of the blame.
Compared to its 1990s peak, by 2005 the chain had lost almost half its locations. In 2007 the business entered into administration and marked out a further 41 restaurants for closure.
To help secure the future of the business, the company took a gamble in 2009 and hired one of the world's most acclaimed chefs, Heston Blumenthal, to revamp the dated menu at some of its restaurants. Out went the greasy breakfasts and in came new dishes including ox cheeks and breakfast options such as strawberry and orange flowerwater yoghurt.
Little Chef's gamble, however, would ultimately fail to pay off and one-by-one the once mighty empire began to crumble, with restaurant closures commonplace by the 2010s.
The Little Chef at Musselburgh closed in 2010, with the Dreghorn branch following suit three years later.
As of today, all of Little Chef's UK restaurants have now closed their doors.
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