The fast food chain has unveiled plans to open its first drive through site in West Yorkshire.
The drive-through will be the first of the kind for the brand, which operates a chain of fast-food restaurants across the north west.
It will be opening in Morley, on the A650 Wakefield Road, situated close to the M62 and M621 junctions.
With room to seat 50 inside, the new Leon restaurant is due to open this autumn 2021.
LEON Baked Fries topped with smashed avo, black beans, chilli sauce, vegannaise and crispy onions./ Image: Leon
The focus at the new restaurant will be on family eating, and it's expected that Leon will reveal some new menu additions following the opening later this year - including an expanded children's menu.
Of course, guests can also rely on all the solid Leon favourites: like carbon neutral burgers, gluten-free chicken nuggets, grilled wraps, breakfast and lunchtime meal deals.
“This is a significant milestone for Leon," said Nick Ayerst, managing director at Leon.
"We've been discussing the first Leon Drive-Thru with EG Group for five years now and we're excited to open in West Yorkshire later this year.
The team at Leon are expanding across the UK - including a new West Yorkshire site / Image: Leon
"We have three other Leons in the surrounding area and we’ve received such a warm welcome from locals, who tell us they love our naturally fast food.
"We receive lots of emails and tweets every week asking us to open even more restaurants in the North and we hope this opening signifies that there are many more tocome.”
The restaurant will be 'digital first' with digital ordering and payment kiosks. it will also be built to sustainable specifications, using solar panels on the roof and a wind turbine to power itself with 100 renewable energy.
This announcement marks the first new opening for the brand since its sale to EG Group in April, but is the first of many planned drive-through openings across the country.
Leon said the new restaurant will continue its mission to bring "naturally fast food" to as many people as possible.
Leon's brilliant burgers are coming to West Yorkshire as the chain expands further north / Image: Leon
Leon said it hopes the expansion into drive-through territory will make it easier for more people to "eat well" on the move.
“This is the first of many new, strategic openings for the Leon brand under EG ownership," said Mohsin Issa and Zuber Issa, co-founders and co-CEOs at EG Group.
"Opening a Leon Drive-Thru concept is a landmark moment for the brand, creating a fantastic opportunity to bring Leon’s naturally fast food to even more people.
"Our investment in Leon, together with our unparalleled operational experience of Drive-Thrus and access to high-quality roadside locations through our forecourts, creates new opportunities for the company and a strong platform to deliver significant growth.”
Eats
Salon Madre – a new tequila bar and pool hall is opening in Leeds this month
Manchester's favourite Mexican bar is about to become your newest nightlife destination in Leeds.
It's been a long time coming, but Salon Madre is officially ready to open in Leeds.
Although we may have to wait a little bit longer for Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, Salon Madre, its lively tequila bar and pool hall sibling, is officially opening on Friday 20 February.
Salon Madre, which will be located just around the corner from Madre at 114 Wellington Street, is where the party really gets started.
Image: The Manc Group
Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens.
There will also be plenty of tacos being flung out the kitchen to keep you going until the early hours.
If you’ve ever visited one of their venues in Manchester or Liverpool, you’ll know it’s an absolute riot and we can’t wait to welcome them to the city.
Images: The Manc Group
Co-founder Sam Grainger, inspired by countless trips to Mexico, says: “Mexico is alive with passionate artisans and cooks, mastering everything from street tacos to regional delicacies. It’s a world where traditions blend and evolve and we’ve built that ethos into the heart of both Madre and Salon Madre.”
Madre Leeds will open soon and you can even grab yourself a free margarita by signing up to their newsletter here.
We’ll keep you up to date with their opening times but for now, we'll see you at Salon Madre for a boogie, margarita and game of pool next week.
Award-winning Leeds restaurant announces shock closure just months after opening
Clementine Hall
Emba in Leeds will be closing its doors with the owner blaming rising costs and pressure on the hospitality sector.
Back in April last year, one of Leeds' top restaurants The Owl closed its doors.
Run by renowned Chef Liz Cottam, The Owl was reimagine into Emba - a trendy restaurant tat bridged 'the gap between cosy bar and vibrant dining room'.
To open Emba, Cottam opened a Crowdfunder where supporters would be awarded with prizes such as VIP dinners and merch depending on how much they donated.
But sadly just months after opening, Emba is to close permanently.
Cottam confirmed the sad news with a statement shared with customers over the weekend, saying she was completely "heartbroken".
She said: “This is no longer the right time to own independent restaurants like Emba,” she said. “Under the current conditions they cannot survive and the recent budget confirmed what so many of us already knew: no meaningful help is coming for hospitality.
"The experience of being here and the harsh financial reality of running a business here no longer stack up.
"Being award winning, popular, admired and loved no longer means profitable and as an industry if we’re honest most of us have not truly been okay since Covid."
She signed off the statement promising to return to the restaurant world, she said: “What I do know is this, I am not done. I will keep cooking, keep creating and keep finding ways to do the thing I love.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st July 2021 
