The change will affect 32 John Lewis cafes across the country
The John Lewis branch in Liverpool ONE will be undergoing a refurbishment next year(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
John Lewis has announced a major change to its Liverpool store. The department store chain has unveiled a new own-brand café and restaurant concept, Platter John Lewis, as part of a multi-million pound investment to its in-store dining experience.
The new concept will replace the long-standing The Place To Eat brand across 32 cafés, including at the branch in Liverpool ONE which will be undergoing a café refurbishment next year. An exact date for the change has not yet been set.
Refurbishment work has already started in three other John Lewis stores, with Chichester, Reading and Oxford Street the first branches to undergo investment. The first refurbished spaces will reopen from this month.
All 32 cafés will be refurbished and rebranded by the end of 2027.
Platter John Lewis will replace The Place To Eat brand across 32 cafes(Image: John Lewis)
John Lewis has partnered with hospitality specialist Benugo to transform and operate the new restaurants.
The partnership builds on an existing ten-year relationship with Benugo, which already runs cafés under its own name in 10 John Lewis shops.Platter John Lewis will sit alongside the retailer’s wider hospitality offer, which includes Benugo, Ori cafés, Huffkins tea rooms, Jamie Oliver Cafe and Kamakura at Oxford Street in London.
While offering a refreshed menu, John Lewis has said that Platter will retain “customer favourites”, as well as My John Lewis membership offers such as free hot drinks and cake.
The investment forms part of John Lewis’ £800m multi-year investment in its brand, stores and customer experience.
The scale of refurbishment will vary by shop, with London’s Oxford Street branch to see the most extensive changes. The Oxford Street restaurant will reopen in early August as the flagship Platter John Lewis, following a thirteen-week transformation.
Katie Papakonstantinou, Director of Services & Hospitality for John Lewis, said: “Customers are spending more time in our shops, and food and drink is an increasingly important part of that experience. Platter John Lewis will give customers a more modern, welcoming place to pause, meet and enjoy something delicious while they shop.“This is an exciting investment in our hospitality offer and an important part of how we’re making John Lewis shops even better places to visit. We’re pleased to get the first refurbishments underway and look forward to opening our flagship at Oxford Street this summer.”
There are currently 62 cafés and restaurants across the John Lewis store estate.
In July 2025, the Liverpool ONE branch of John Lewis opened a new café on the ground floor, Ori Caffe.
Ori Caffe inside John Lewis, Liverpool ONE(Image: Andrew Teebay )
While new to Liverpool the brand already had successful venues across the country including in Cambridge, Milton Keynes, and Newcastle.
Ori Caffé serves freshly baked pastries, salads, sandwiches and a range of cakes and sweet treats as well as coffee, prosecco, and cocktails.