Well-known UK bowling activity bar Lane7 is set to open its first-ever location in Leeds in 2025.
The bowling alley and entertainment specialists already have a site in Sheffield, and another site is coming to York very soon, making Leeds the third venue in the region.
Set to pop up in the city centre, they'll be opening just down the road from popular adult playground and competitor, Roxy Ball Room - more specifically their Roxy Lanes site.
Lane7 Leeds will take over the former Wilko shop on Albion Street, which closed following the franchise's widespread financial struggles back in 2023.
The lot has been vacant ever since and now a poster plastered in the window has revealed the company's intentions another Yorkshire outpost.
With 18 locations already up and running in the UK, the Leeds bowling alley along with plans to open in Northern Ireland and Wales will see them surpass 20 different sites.
Started in Newcastle back in 2013, in just over a decade the bowling and activity bar has managed to carve a strong following in an already saturated corner of the hospitality and entertainment sector.
Like Roxys, Lane7 also offers other games like mini golf, ping pong and pool, arcade machines and more, not to mention plenty of food and drink offerings.
Most notably, each venue works with local chefs to create unique menus for each city rather than a strictly standardised offering across the board.
For instance, our friends over at The Manc are treated to the equally popular chain Fat Hippo as the in-house vendors.
The dirty burger connoisseurs also have a restaurant here in Leeds, so maybe we'll see them appear at this new Lane7 too, but we'll leave the fun of guessing what else it could be up to you.
Although there is still very little information on an exact opening date, we think we can safely expect Lane7 Leeds to arrive sometime in 2025. We'll keep you posted.
Featured Images — Lane7
Eats
Beloved Leeds Malaysian cafe known for its authentic home cooking announces sudden closure
A much-loved independent restaurant in Leeds has announced it will be closing its doors.
Kuala Lumpur Cafe opened its doors in Headingley in 2019 by Bart and Hirman, who wanted to bring authentic Malaysian cooking to the city of Leeds.
Throughout the years, they'd built up a reputation for their beautiful curries and vibrant street food dishes, all of which were made using Hirman's family recipes.
So much so, that in 2024 they opened a kitchen inside White Cloth Hall in the city centre when the Grade II listed food hall first opened.
Their kitchen sadly closed a year later, but their Headingley restaurant remained open serving the students and locals with their famous beef rendang, nasi lemak and more.
Sadly, Kuala Lumpur Cafe have taken to social media to announce that they will be closing their doors for good as of this Saturday 17 October.
Their statement reads: "Thank you to all our customers and team that made Kuala Lumpur Cafe possible across the last few years. After a long consideration, we have decided that our last trading day will be Saturday 17 October.
"If you have a booking after this date, we'll be calling you over the next few days to try to move it to an earlier date before we close.
"It's been our pleasure to serve Malaysian food to the community. Best regards, KL Cafe."
Of course, in true Leeds fashion, local businesses and customers flocked to the comments to express their sadness and show their support.
One comment reads: "Such a shame. This was genuinely the best Malay food I had outside of Malaysia. Will be missed greatly", whilst another thanks the cafe for "all the delicious food over the years".
If you want to visit Kuala Lumpur Cafe one last time, then you have until this Saturday to do so. Go and wish them a proper farewell.
A Miami-inspired deli serving Cuban sandwiches, stacked subs and cigars has opened in a Leeds suburb
Clementine Hall
After making a name for itself over in Leeds city centre, Alfonso's Deli 2.0 has touched down in Horsforth.
Famed for it’s toasted Cuban sandwiches, stacked subs and loaded breakfast bagels - Alfonso's Deli in Leeds' beautiful Grand Arcade serve up some of the best sandwiches in the city.
They've built up such a good reputation in fact, that they have now opened a second deli in the up-and-coming suburb of Horsforth.
Located in a prime location on New Side Road, this deli has a slightly different look to their original space, complete with a beautiful red awning and stuffed to the brim with American memorabilia.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Here you can find fresh Cuban coffee which goes wonderfully with their authentic toasted Cubano sandwiches, perfectly crafted with their house-made bread which are then pressed made-to-order.
New for Horsforth, they're now serving New York deli sandwiches on brand-new house schiacciata bread.
And the bread is as fresh as it gets, made in their own bakery downstairs alongside a selection of New York deli bakes.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Stuffed with toppings such as smoked deli meats, cold cuts, fresh cheese and whatever else you fancy.
Oh and it doesn't stop there, you can also buy a cigar if you fancy it alongside a selection of merch, hot sauces and provisions like tinned fish.
So whether you're stopping by on your way to work for a morning coffee or treating yourself to a stellar sandwich for your lunch, Alfonso's Deli is here to whisk you away to Miami for the afternoon.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
They're officially opening their doors to the public this Thursday 15 October, and we just know it's going to go down and absolute storm.
Make sure to pop down and give them a big warm welcome to the neighbourhood.
Danny Jones -
27th December 2024 
