The café at the Douglas Marks and Spencer (M&S) is set to close as part of a major revamp which will see the food hall increased.

The major food and clothing chain says it wants to offer customers a ‘fresh and modern shopping experience’.

The investment will be one of the biggest refurbishments of the Drumgold Street store since it was established in 1996.

The closure of the café will come as a disappointment to many and follows the decision by Waterstones to close its café in April.

Back in 2017, Marks and Spencer actually increased the size of the café, which opened in 2004, with an additional 600sqft. This increased the seating to 140.

However, a Marks and Spencer spokeswoman says the café will make way for expansions in other departments, including the Foodhall whose size will increase by a third.

There will be no job losses as part of the closure with cafe staff to be redeployed to other departments in the store, M&S said.

The spokeswoman said: ‘The upcoming transformation will see an expanded Foodhall and Clothing and Home departments, offering customers a fresh and modern shopping experience.

‘The revitalised store will feature a substantially larger Foodhall which will allow for an even wider selection of M&S’s popular food ranges, including more seasonal fruit and vegetables from Select Farm partners, an extended collection of signature wines, and more Remarkable Value products.

‘To create space for a 50% increase in Foodhall size, the existing café will close to make way for fantastic new additions such as a larger in-store bakery, complete with two served coffee machines offering barista-made beverages, and a brand-new hot chicken counter.’

The plans will also see an increase in the clothing and homeware offering.

The spokeswoman said: ‘Recognising the strong local demand, the renewal will also see an investment in its already-popular clothing and home departments.

‘These modern new departments will showcase popular M&S brands like GoodMove, Per Una, Autograph, and Apothecary. Customers will be able to find the latest fashions and beauty must-haves all under one roof, with a larger beauty department offering a greater selection of branded beauty products.’

Marks and Spencer Douglas store manager Caroline Brand believes the plans are an exciting opportunity to offer more for customers.

She said: "We're excited to unveil our plans to renew our Douglas store. This investment will allow us to offer an even wider range of our delicious M&S Food, all while maintaining the great quality and trusted value our customers expect.”

The Douglas store will remain open throughout the renewal works, with the team committed to minimising disruption for customers. Work on the newly enhanced store will begin in late July and the chain anticipates to launch the new-look store in Spring 2026.

Marks and Spencer is not able to confirm how much the refurbishment will cost.

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