Greggs

A franchise as homogenised as Gregg’s really only needs reviewing if you’ve found a shoe in your coffee or something, but this recently opened branch is a slight departure from the norm — it has SEATS. No, I don’t mean the kerb outside, or the pushchairs the teenagers bring in, but actual tables and chairs so that you can sit in and «enjoy» the Gregg’s ambience.
In fairness, it’s much larger than a normal Gregg’s and so where you’re sat is well removed from the greasy end, and traffic levels mean the pasties are always hot, but the feel is still much more «Yo fella» than «Ciao bella». The unfamiliar layout does sometimes cause confusion and queuing chaos as they’ve separated pastie ordering and paying, but judging by the amount of people in this country who rely purely on Gregg’s for their sustenance, that may introduce a useful level of natural selection back in to society.
While there you can also check out the currently (but probably forever) fairly derelict Central Arcade. A new covered shopping mall designed to bring the «class and glamour» of Briggate out towards Kirkgate, it’s probably done the opposite, but time will tell. At least now I can browse for hair extensions while chomping on a hot sausage and bean melt without having to walk all the way up to the Merrion Centre.