Plan to turn Chesterfield Frankie & Benny's diner into Tim Horton's drive thru

Documents submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council show the plan involves the partial demolition of the diner, on the Alma Leisure Park, off Derby Road, and the installation of a drive thu lane.

The application says the new business would be a ‘coffee shop / restaurant selling food and drink for consumption on and off the premises’.

The proposed drive-thru lane is to be accessed from the existing car park area to the southwest of the building, with orders and payments to be made in this area. The application also includes plans for new signage for the business at the site.

Documents say the level of parking allocated to the unit will remain unchanged from the Frank & Benny’s unit, with the only change being the loss of three ‘pick-up’ spaces that will not be needed by Tim Hortons.

They add that sufficient queuing space will be provided within the drive-thru lane to accommodate demand and so ‘the proposal will not impact’ on the operation of the car park or road network.Tim Hortons was founded in Canada in 1964, with the company opening its first UK outlet in 2017, offering coffee, freshly baked goods, sandwiches and wraps.

This would be the Tim Hortons first store in north Derbyshire with the closest trading outlets currently located in Mansfield, Derby and Sheffield.

If permission is granted, Tim Hortons will be the latest new name at the site, after Dunkin’ donuts and Taco Bell moved onto the leisure park at the end of last year.