Liverpool city centre Greggs could soon be open for 24 hours a day - with drive-thru to follow?

Greggs could open one of its Liverpool city centre branches for 24 hours a day after making an application to extend the opening times of its Lord Street venue.

The bakery giant has asked Liverpool City Council to grant a licence which would allow the sale of late night refreshment from 11pm to 5am and provide a service potentially around the clock, seven days a week.

Greggs has successfully applied to open late night stores at other locations around the UK, including Leicester Square, in London, where they employ bouncers on the doors after dark.

The Lord Street location – which opened to much fanfare in May 2019 – currently operates from 7am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 8.30am to 7pm on Sundays. When it opened its city centre branch four years ago, Greggs said the business was investing in Liverpool and bringing new jobs.

Tasty by Greggs opened last week as part of a £3m extension at the Primark store on Church Street. This was the fourth venue of its kind to open in the UK, after London, Birmingham and Newcastle – where the brand was first formed in 1939.

What’s next: In March, Greggs announced plans to trial a new 24-hour drive-thru service as part of huge expansion plans. Fifteen have opened around the country so far. The nearest one to Liverpool is 28 miles away at Gateway Service Station, Irlam, but Greggs say: “We’re sure to be coming to a roadside near you before long.”

The bakery also hopes to reach 3,000 shops across the UK over time and wants to extend opening hours to 300 of its locations to 9pm by the end of 2023. It has opened more than 180 already this year.