Asda cafe express format

Asda has been quietly opening a new café format, Express Diner – the fourth of which opened last week in Strelley, Nottingham.

Another seven are in the planning stage. A spokeswoman said: “We are taking it step by step. If we can open more we will.”

The first, a 1,600 sq ft unit, opened in Asda’s Leicester store last November which replaced the existing Asda Café. Colne, in Lancashire and Grantham, in Lincolnshire, followed in December.

The concept has been developed as a “premium offer but at good-value-for-money prices”.

Everything costs £1 apart from the 16-inch pizza, which costs £5. Soft drink refills are free as is the filtered water.

Menu items include tomato and basil soup with granary roll, jacket potatoes, pizza slices, Berry Berry Sundae, Seattle’s Best Filter Coffee, Yorkshire Tea and Fruit toast.

Ella’s Baby Pouches are free with any purchase from the menu when feeding a baby in the café.

Calorie counts are displayed next to each menu item.

Asda said Express Diners had “a simple back-of-house operation” that enabled staff to serve customers quickly.

“We’ve gone with brand new décor and different-style seating to create a nice, modern environment,” the company said.

The menu is communicated through digital screens and videos and food can be eaten in or taken away.”

A spokeswoman did not know when the seven that were in planning would open.

She added: “We’re always looking at ways to improve our stores and the in-store experience for our customers. As part of this we regularly trial new formats including across our food service offers.”

Asda filed a trade mark application for its Express Diner logo with the Intellectual Property Office on 9 April.