Supermarket's licensed café a success
A new restaurant and bar concept launched last month by supermarket chain Safeway is proving very popular with customers.
The first Café Fresco, at the chain's High Wycombe store in Buckinghamshire, sells cut-price bottled beer and wine, as well as quality food and snacks and stays open after the store shuts.
Licensees are concerned the prices in Café Fresco, which include £1.49 for a bottle of Budweiser and £3.99 for half a bottle of wine, mean increased competition and the bar is also featuring live music, making it a genuine competitor to the pub trade.
The concept, which has replaced the supermarket coffee shop, is already proving a hit with the store's customers.
A spokeswoman for Safeway said: "The first Café Fresco has proved very popular with locals in the High Wycombe area and we are delighted that people have taken the time to find out what the new-style restaurant is about.
"On the basis of this we are opening our second Café Fresco at our Woking store."
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Supermarkets to take on pubs (May 2, 2001)
