The retailer is set to eliminate its current café brand across all branches and introduce an entirely fresh dining concept as part of an extensive multi-million pound modernisation programme.
Platter John Lewis will supersede the long-established The Place To Eat branding at 32 locations, including the outlet at Westgate Oxford.
The initial batch of redesigned spaces will begin welcoming customers from this month.
The initiative forms part of John Lewis’ £800m multi-year spending programme aimed at enhancing its brand, premises and customer experience, as the retailer works to provide shoppers with additional incentives to visit, gather and linger in its shops.
Renovation work has commenced at three John Lewis branches, with Chichester, Reading and Oxford Street in London the initial locations to receive investment.
The scale of transformation will differ from one store to another, with the Oxford Street venue undergoing the most comprehensive overhaul.
The Oxford Street dining area will relaunch in early August as the flagship Platter John Lewis, following a 13-week remodelling project.
All 32 cafés will undergo renovation and rebranding by the conclusion of 2027.
There are 62 cafés and restaurants across the retailer’s property portfolio, with hospitality representing over 20 per cent of John Lewis’ in-store purchasing activity.
Katie Papakonstantinou, the retailer’s director of services and hospitality, stated that shoppers are spending greater periods of time within its branches, and food and beverages have become an increasingly significant component of that visit.
Platter John Lewis will offer customers a more contemporary, inviting space to rest, socialise and savour quality food while shopping.
This represents a significant investment in the hospitality division and a crucial element of the retailer’s strategy to enhance its shopping environments.
The company expressed enthusiasm about commencing the initial renovations and anticipation for launching the flagship outlet at Oxford Street during the summer months.
John Lewis has joined forces with hospitality specialist Benugo to develop and manage the new dining venues.
The collaboration builds upon an existing decade-long association with Benugo, which already operates cafés under its own name in 10 John Lewis stores.
Platter John Lewis will complement the retailer’s broader hospitality range, which encompasses Benugo, Ori cafés, Huffkins tea rooms, Jamie Oliver Cafe and Kamakura at Oxford Street.
Alongside providing a refreshed menu, the new concept will retain popular items that customers love, as well as the established My John Lewis membership advantages such as complimentary hot beverages and slices of cake.
John Lewis launched as the principal tenant at Westgate Oxford when the centre relaunched in 2017 following a £440m transformation, which incorporated 100 fresh shops and restaurants, including several on the centre’s upper-level terrace.
It now serves as the sole remaining department store in the city, following the shuttering of family-owned Boswells in 2020 and the closure of Debenhams in early 2021.
The premises previously occupied by Boswells at the intersection of Cornmarket and Broad Street now houses The Store hotel, while the former Debenhams store on Magdalen Street is set to become a £125m research facility managed by The Crown Estate.
John Lewis Partnership is the parent company of the Waitrose supermarket chain.