Greggs, the largest bakery chain in the UK, opened this week on Cornmarket in Oxford.
There was a queue out the door and across the street as customers flooded to the new store.
The store is open seven days a week, and with 66 seats upstairs, it is one of the biggest Greggs in the country.
Students have been eagerly anticipating the opening of Oxford’s Greggs since jobs were advertised in September 2019 and a planning application was submitted in November.
Regional manager Steve Russell told The Oxford Mail: “Oxford is a great tourist destination and we know we are guaranteed plenty of footfall here in Cornmarket – I’m sure it’s going to be very busy. The Westgate Centre is great but it’s Cornmarket that is the traditional centre. The whole Greggs range will be on sale here including our vegan sausage rolls.”
“I’m delighted with how the opening has gone – customers are already queuing and I’m chuffed to bits – it’s going to be incredibly popular.”
Eve Bennett, an Oxford student and prominent YouTuber, tweeted: “Greggs opens today and I shall be having a steak bake for lunch which is all I have wanted since moving to Oxford. It has a seating area upstairs so I can work and eat there – THIS HAS CHANGED THE GAME.”
The Oxford University Northerners Society hosted a Facebook event on Wednesday titled ‘Come Greggs With Me’ saying: “Today is the big day!!! The day we’ve all been waiting for!!! GREGGS HAS FINALLY COME TO OXFORD.”
Another student told Cherwell: “I love how cheap the food is at Greggs, and how close it is to my college. I will definitely be going there every week for lunch. The vegan sausage rolls are so good – it’s rare to get such quality meat alternatives.”
One student, however, considered the impact on local trade: “It’s disappointing to see yet another corporation taking a spot on the high street which could be filled by a small, local business.”
The firm announced that it made record profits in 2019, partly due to its recently released vegan range, which includes a sausage roll, steak bake, and doughnut. There are plans to open 100 more stores over the next year.
