Greggs is planning to open a new flagship store on Southend High Street, taking over the former post office unit and operating with extended late-night opening hours.
If approved, the branch would likely become the largest Greggs in the city, adding to the five outlets already trading across Southend. However, it’s expected that the Greggs store opposite the Victoria Shopping Centre would close once the new site opens, due to its close proximity.
According to plans, the new High Street store would be open from 5am up to 11pm, seven days a week. Greggs has been increasingly focusing on early morning and evening trade across the UK, moving beyond its traditional breakfast and lunchtime offering.
In recent years, the bakery chain has expanded its late-day menu at selected locations, introducing items such as pizzas, chicken goujons, wedges and its classic savoury bakes to attract customers later into the evening. Southend’s proposed opening hours would place it among Greggs’ stores that are open longest each day.
What could be on the late-night Greggs menu?
The new store is expected to offer a much broader evening takeaway menu. At other Greggs locations that have been trialling late opening, options typically include:
- Customisable Greggs-style pizzas
Freshly baked on Greggs’ focaccia base, with the option to choose three toppings. Choices include Chargrill Chicken, Mexican Chicken, Pepperoni, Red Onion, Jalapeños and Mixed Peppers. - Pizza meal deal bundles
A boxed pizza served with sharing wedges and a hot sweet treat, designed for evening takeaway rather than a quick lunchtime bite. - Hot savoury sides
Including Southern Fried Potato Wedges, Spicy BBQ Chicken Bites, Southern Fried Chicken Goujons and Vegan Southern Fried Chicken-Free Goujons. - Hot Milk Chocolate Cookies
With milk chocolate chunks and served with either a milk chocolate or salted caramel dipping sauce. - Hot Chocolate Brownies
Made with dark chocolate and chunks of melted milk and white chocolate. - Hot Yum Yums
Warm, sugar-glazed doughnuts served with milk chocolate or salted caramel dipping sauce.
The new branch is expected to create at least 12 jobs, including four full-time and eight part-time roles.
The former post office unit in the High Street has stood empty for several years and has long been a visible gap in one of the city centre’s busiest stretches. It was previously earmarked for a Turtle Bay restaurant, and later for a Black Sheep Coffee shop, but neither brand opened, leaving the large space remaining vacant.
Nationally, Greggs continues to grow at pace. The company now operates more than 2,500 stores across the UK and has reported strong profits, driven by higher footfall, longer opening hours and its expanding hot food range. The chain has publicly committed to opening hundreds more stores in the coming years, with further openings planned into 2026 as it targets busy town centres, transport hubs and high-footfall locations.
If the Southend plans are approved, the new Greggs would bring one of the High Street’s biggest empty units back into use.