Costa Coffee is one of those places you end up in with a baby almost by accident. You needed a coffee, there was a Costa, and now you’re wondering if there’s a changing table. The good news is that most of them do have one, but it really does depend which Costa you’ve walked into.
Yes, but it really depends which Costa you’re walking into
Full-sized Costa locations with a proper sit-in dining area almost always have baby changing facilities. They’re usually tucked in the accessible toilet or a combined family toilet near the back of the shop. The quality varies a bit, especially in older sites, but you’ll generally find a fold-down table, a bin, and enough space to get the job done.
The newer, recently refurbished locations tend to be noticeably better. Bigger shop, cleaner facilities, sometimes a dedicated room rather than just the accessible loo.
Costa inside a Sainsbury’s, check the supermarket not the cafe
If you’re in a Costa that sits inside a Sainsbury’s, the baby changing facilities belong to the supermarket, not the cafe. Head for the main Sainsbury’s toilets rather than asking the Costa staff. Larger Sainsbury’s stores usually have a dedicated parent and baby room, so you might actually end up with more space than you’d get in a standalone Costa.
The Costa itself won’t have its own changing area in this case. It shares the building but not the toilets.
Drive-throughs and express machines, don’t count on it
Drive-through Costas are a different story. If there’s no sit-in space, there are almost no toilet facilities at all. The same goes for Costa Express machines in petrol stations or train stations, those are just self-serve coffee points with no toilets nearby.
If you’re on a motorway or a long drive, the services themselves will have facilities, but the Costa concession inside them won’t independently. Worth keeping that in mind before you commit to the drive-through queue.
Babycino run with a baby in tow
Costa staff are pretty family-friendly in practice. Asking for a babycino, getting a high chair sorted, warming up a bottle, none of that is usually a problem. The facilities in most sit-in locations are decent enough for a quick stop. Just don’t bank on it at smaller formats.
If you want to check what’s available before you head out, Clover shows baby changing locations near you so you can see what’s actually close by. Handy if you’re in an unfamiliar area and you’d rather know in advance than find out on arrival.