Costa Coffee at the Leisure Centre

[girlfriend44]

The cafe at the local leisure Centre and Pool is a Costa and its very expensive.
AiBU to think it dosent really fit in that venue anyway.

Didn't we just used to have vending machines etc and shouldn't there be free water at a place where they are doing gym and sport and swimming?

Do you really want to sit down for an expensive coffee and cake when you've been in the gym?
All added expense etc, the kids drinks are really expensive too.

What do you have at your local pool/gym etc?
The cafe is the only waiting area too?

I think the emphasis Is on Leisure isn't it? ours has a cafe not Costa, its well used by the general public it has parking and electric car chargers . groups do meet ups in it etc etc . it's not all about run in run out of the gym.

our hospital has a Starbucks I was with an elderly parent for an appointment and we were early. so we went in.oh it's horrible I'd never been before all I had was a flat white I don't know how they could get it so wrong ! Ep got a tea which was apparently fine.

Ours is the same. I imagine your leisure centre is run by the same company as ours as every town now seems to have carbon copy centres. I used to love the vending machines after we’d gone for a swim as a kid!
More recently we used to have a leisure centre which had an amazing soft play and cafe where you could get great food and drink for reasonable prices while the children played. It was so popular. It was run by a not for profit organisation. The council then decided our leisure centre needed an upgrade and unfortunately the existing company did not win the contract. We had no leisure centre for 2 years while they built the new facility and it finally reopened with a smaller swimming pool, a Costa coffee Shop and a soft play area half the size that was in a separate room with a door that only opened by scanning your receipt. No room in there for parents to watch and sit and at least twice the cost before you have even ordered your over priced Costa coffee.

The cafe at the leisure centre we use is an independent which is more expensive than Costa. I sit in there with a cup of tea whilst my DS is having his swimming lesson but we go to a nearby Costa afterwards for lunch!

DD swims 5 times a week with a competitive swimming club. Some days I need the Costa.

Costa coffee is vile 🤣
give me Starbucks wan extra shot of expresso any day!
you don’t have to buy it!

I imagine it's a way to keep membership prices & pay per visit charges down. No-one forces you to buy a drink; you can bring your own flask, I'm sure.

most leisure centre gyms have some sort of cafe don't they? It's not a new thing. The only ones that don't that I've been to are the really cheap pure gym type ones and even they have usually had a cafe in the next building across!
It's not as though vending machines were particularly healthy either so I don't get that argument! Plus it's all optional, it's only an 'added expense' if you choose to buy it, it's very possible to walk past! (although I do think it's funny when people treat themselves to it because they've just been to the gym - unless they're just getting an espresso/black coffee half the time the workout won't even have burned off the coffee let alone the cake).

The only bit that's unreasonable is that there's nowhere else to sit.

A nice cafe and a good chat after a gym class is the highlight of my week some weeks. They've spotted market need.

Lots of things aren't what they were, but many of them are better

Of course there's also water

Possibly so. I think my centre must be similar to the OP’s as the only seating area is within the cafe nothing in reception despite being acres of space. Before I had a car it was a bit of a pain not knowing where to go while waiting for my kids classes to finish which were drop and go. By the time i’d walk to the town centre it would be time to come back to collect her. Swimming was the only activity where there were seats to watch. It’s a lovely looking centre but not at all practical or user friendly.

Costa, but never use it. Usually go swimming quite late and always hungry afterwards, so always go home and make food.

Did you bother to read the first articl?

it was an article about someone posting on a neighbourhood forum asking about what was the vending machine back in the seventies in a town, and it had one response from one member saying it was a chip vending machine! 😂

I agree but then Costa is popular. I object most about our local hospital has a large Costa and at weekends is the only place to buy hot food pr drinks.

Our local authority is consulting on closing all its leisure centres. If Costa could kept them going, then bring it on.

I remember the machines that did hot chocolate or soup for 10p.

Yes. I see you’re not acknowledging that your link contained incorrect information though.

Did you read the Wikipedia article previously posted?

The ice rink I used to train at had a Mr Crispy machine in the 1990s. They were amazing

Why does it matter that you used to only have vending machines?
Which isn’t universal anyway as my local leisure centre had a greasy spoon toe cafe in the 90s.
If it’s too expensive for you then don’t use it, simple as that.
A leisure centre isn’t obligated to provide free comfy seating so I don’t really understand your issue.

Yes, ours seems to be a local 'chain' as it's across all the leisure centres and parks... Not £4.20 but near enough for the cheap kind of machine coffees.

I just had a flash back to the smell and flavour of the vending machine soup after swimming!!!

Can't work out, do they pay Costa for having the cafe in there, or do Costa pay them?

The cafe in our local hospital closed and opened up again as a Costa franchise. Once the novelty wore off the queues depleted and now it’s probably just about breaking even. As an example, they sell M&S sandwiches and an egg and cress mayo on brown bread costs £6.50 !!

The Costa in our local hospital sells M&S sandwiches for twice the price of the M&S in store ones. The hospital shop - right opposite the Costa franchise used to open on a Saturday. Not any more - as you say the only place available at the weekend for visitors etc, to buy.

Please read. I agree but there's a sign saying tables are really for people who are buying from the cafe.

If you are looking for something not in keeping with the healthy image a leisure centre should portray, we have a poorly screened area out front of ours that most members of staff use to hang out on fag breaks!

I think it's nice to have a cafe rather than a boring vending machine. Although saying that it might be nice to have both! Do they not have a water fountain at the gym? They have a cafe and water fountain at my gym - I'm pretty sure they have a vending machine too.