The Greggs branch at 143 Strand, a staple lunch spot for King’s students on Strand campus, has permanently closed after signage announced it would shut on 5 January.
Greggs’ branch at 143 Strand has permanently closed, leaving students on King’s College London’s Strand campus without one of their closest cheap lunch options.
Posters displayed on the shopfront state: “Sorry, we’re closing on 5th January,” adding that customers’ nearest alternative is 421-422 The Strand. The closure appears to have taken place quietly over the Christmas break, with the unit now cleared out inside.
A worker at a neighbouring convenience store told Roar that the Greggs had closed permanently, saying he saw the store being emptied in the first few days of 2026.
The branch sits on the doorstep of Strand campus, directly on a route used by students travelling between classes and study spaces at the nearby Waterloo Campus, and had become a go-to stop for quick, low-cost food and coffee.
For many students, Greggs was the dependable option for a quick five-minute bite to eat or coffee between back-to-back lectures. One King’s student told Roar they were “devastated, as I relied on it for cheap lunch and it didn’t hit my bank balance in the way an expensive sandwich from Pret would”.
Another questioned the closure, saying: “I’m disappointed and baffled about this. There were always queues stretching outside the store. I just don’t get why they’d close it down”.
Meanwhile, one said the closure was a practical inconvenience, saying: “It took me less than five minutes to leave Bush House, grab a sausage roll, and be back at my laptop; it was an easy option on the days I got tired of the Tesco Meal Deal”.
The closure also lands amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures for students, where small price differences can matter for daily routines. A sausage roll at Greggs typically costs around £1.60, while a regular latte comes in at around £2.70. Their meal deals have often undercut nearby alternatives, with a savoury bake and a regular hot drink costing just £3.70.
Students who relied on the branch for quick bakes or a cost-friendly coffee between lectures may now need to walk further afield. The nearest Greggs, at 421-422 Strand, is an additional 10-minute walk further along the Strand – or students may need to end up paying more at nearby chains.
A survey of Strand students conducted by Roar found that 30% of students surveyed tend to buy their lunch at Greggs, while 17% opt for Pret, 17% go to King’s Cafe’s and 36% choose an alternative lunch option.
In May 2025, Greggs closed 56 stores following a challenging start to the year.
Roar has reached out to Greggs for comment.
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