A NEW drive-thru Costa Coffee is due to open at Basildon's Festival Leisure Park next month

The coffee giant says it is "excited" to open the new business in February. It will create 15 new jobs and include indoor and outdoor seating areas.

The coffee shop is launching next to the new Wendy's fast food restaurant, which opened in November, with free food for its first few customers.

Previously, a Costa Coffee spokesman stated that the chain aimed for an Easter 2025 opening; however, it is clear that work still has a considerable way to go before the site opens next month. The shell of the new coffee shop and drive-thru is built, but it's still empty inside ahead of the opening.

Last April, work was well underway on the two new drive-thru businesses. Basildon Borough Council gave the two chains planning permission in 2024 to remove a block of parking spaces next to Pizza Hut at Festival Leisure Park.

Andy Barnes, leader of the Basildon Conservatives, welcomed the investment. He added: "It's great to have another new business opening at the festival leisure park. It's such a popular destination for families in Basildon and the surrounding areas, I'm sure it will do very well."

The well-known leisure park also offers Cineworld cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Travelodge, and has undergone a transformation from a once-known night hotspot with various nightclubs in the Nineties and Noughties.

A Costa Coffee spokesperson said: "We're excited to open our brand-new Costa Coffee Drive Thru store at Festival Leisure Park, Basildon – near the home of our incredible Roastery, next month. We're recruiting a talented team of 15 baristas to serve the local community their favourite Costa coffee.

"Customers will be able to enjoy indoor and outdoor seating, whether meeting friends, taking a quiet moment during the day, or having an afternoon treat. For those on the go, the Drive Thru lane offers a fast and convenient way to pick up your go-to handcrafted coffee."