Everyone's favourite gyros slingers are heading to Leeds city centre at long last and we're absolutely buzzing our pittas off.
ThatZiki has today announced plans for a new permanent residence at Trinity Kitchen, set to open in just a few weeks' time.
And they've teased a big giveaway to celebrate their arrival into the city centre too.
They'll be bringing their wildly popular Greek street food into Leeds, taking over what was previously the home of Absurd Bird.
ThatZiki was first launched in 2022 by brothers Jack and Luke Newton, and has grown from a modest food truck to a much bigger enterprise.
They have sites in Chorlton and Salford Quays over in Greater Manchester, plus a kitchen in Warrington, and previously had a delivery kitchen in Leeds.
Set to open at the end of July, the new ThatZiki site will serve up its famous gyros with a range of fillings, from 24-hour marinaded chicken and pork to grilled halloumi plus a vegan option.
ThatZiki will open at Trinity Kitchen in Leeds. Credit: SuppliedThatZiki's famous gyros are also available as boxes. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
The gyros are also available in a box, and topped with a choice of homemade house sauce, tzatziki, or sriracha chilli or mayo.
Sides include loaded fries, feta fries, pita and hummus.
As part of the launch event, ThatZiki will give away 50 free gyros plus free Greek soft drinks, with details to be announced via their social media.
Jack said: “We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved in just a couple of years – from saving up for the food truck to now launching our fourth venue, we couldn’t be happier. We wouldn’t be here without the support of our amazing, loyal customers, and our friends and family. Their positive feedback and encouragement has meant the world.
“It’s a big step opening in such a major shopping centre in the heart of Leeds, working alongside big names but it’s all part of our plan to become the biggest and best Greek food business.
How the new ThatZiki Leeds will look
“What sets us apart is our food – we make our tzatziki from scratch every day, marinate our chicken and pork in our own secret marinade based on traditional recipes from Greece, and make our sauces in-house using proper halloumi from Cyprus and pita breads from Athens.
“We can’t wait to bring ThatZiki to Leeds and give even more people the chance to try our food. Yamas!”
ThatZiki owners, brothers Luke and Jack Newton
Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “We’ve been waiting for something special to join our incredible line-up at Trinity Kitchen, and ThatZiki is the perfect fit. The team is so passionate about what they do and their incredible food already has quite the following, so we can’t wait for people in Leeds to enjoy it too!”
The new arrivals will be trading alongside permanent eateries including Archie’s, Pho, Rola Wala, Tortilla, Pizzaluxe and Doner Shack.
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.”
Daisy Jackson -
2nd July 2024 
