Costa Coffee’s decision to close another town centre branch has been described as a “sign of the times” as businesses face increasing cost pressures. Costa Coffee in Whitstable High Street has closedBut the closure of the High Street branch on Sunday is the latest in a round of nationwide shutdowns by the coffee giant, first announced last year. The Whitstable branch had only garnered an average of three stars on Tripadvisor, with customers complaining about cutbacks to opening hours and describing the cafe as “dingy”, but others praised the coffee and service. The boss of Kent’s biggest independent coffee shop chain, HatHats, which has an outlet at Whitstable Harbour, says it’s “a sign of the times”. Businesses previously told KentOnline that the impact of the national insurance hikes will be “worst than Covid”.
