Costa Coffee abruptly shut five of its cafés in Cornwall after terminating its partnership with the local franchise over a breach.
The chain, which operates more than 2,000 sites across Britain, said the agreement had to be ended, prompting closures in the county.
Locations in Belle Vue (Bude), Molesworth Street (Wadebridge), Trelowarren Street (Camborne), Fore Street (Bodmin) and Meneage Street (Helston) are now closed.
In Bodmin, a handwritten note on the door claimed the shop closed "due to a technical fault."
According to Cornwall Live, staff at the affected outlets received a temporary lay-off for two months leading up to Christmas.
Employment matters remain the responsibility of the franchise partner, not Costa Coffee.
Costa still runs other outlets and Costa Express machines throughout Cornwall.
A Costa spokesperson told The Sun, "Following a breach of our franchise agreement, we have taken the difficult decision to terminate our franchise agreement with the franchise partner, resulting in the closure of these stores. Customers can find their nearest Costa Coffee using our store locator."
