All the dishes are made for the 'gram and beautifully decorated.
Your Girl Can Bake is the UK's first dine-in-car dessert shop, a hybrid between a drive-thru and a dine-in experience, where you never have to leave your car.
The idea is, you pull up your car and experience desserts like pancakes and waffles laden in thick sauce, washed down with giant freakshakes, mocktails and a whole host of fizzy drinks.
Image: Your Girl Can Bake
Set up in the height of the pandemic, owner of Your Girl Can Bake, Ikraa Riaz, started by selling homemade desserts on Instagram.
Like all the best lockdown success stories, Ikraa found success selling online and decided to pursue her dream of opening a dessert store and now operates from Ardwick in Manchester, which is a one hour drive from Leeds city centre.
Reimagining the dining experience in a world scarred by the pandemic, the concept keeps ahold of the intimacy of gathering and eating in small groups, but still provides the same service and food quality as a dine-in restaurant. It's certainly a far cry from the tight curbs and echoey tannoys of McDonalds drive-thru.
Image: Your Girl Can Bake
Whilst lockdown restrictions may have been the instigator for the dine-in-car idea, it's a concept that's continued to prove popular ever since.
The concept has drawn in influencers, who have taken to Instagram and TikTok to share their experiences, and there's plenty of positive reviews to choose from.
Reaching over a million views on a single TikTok video is the type of viral content any small business only dreams of: but it appears that the visual appeal of these tasty treats has kept customers continuing to visit Your Girl Can Bake long after its five minutes of fame on the social media channel.
And for good reason too. The menu includes mouthwatering Nutella-filled French toast sticks, cookie dough, fudge cakes and fondues in takeaway trays- just incase you can't finish it all in one sitting.
If that's not enough, there's those old school funfetti cakes (the ones you loved at school), giant bags of fizzy sweets, loaded brownies, mini dutch pancakes and cakesicles to try out.
Image: Your Girl Can Bake
There's even savoury dishes to balance the dining experience with loaded nachos, samosa chaat, samosas and kebabs all on offer.
To quench your thirst, there's berry-flavoured Fanta amongst other familiar and exotic soft drinks or mocktails that include a rainbow disco light ice cube for a late-night party experience.
If we're honest, it's the Easter collection that we're most excited about, even if it is only February. The Easter Madness Cookie Dough is half an easter egg loaded with cookie dough, melted chocolate and loaded with your favourite springtime treats like mini eggs and malteaster bunnies.
You wouldn't believe there's a team of three behind this incredible concept.
For more information, or to book yourself a place at the UK's first dine-in-car dessert experience, you can find Your Girl Can Bake on Instagram. Please note bookings need to be made in advance to give time for preparation.
Feature Image- Your Girl Can Bake
Eats
Big name restaurant closes Leeds city centre site after seven years
A popular restaurant chain has closed permanently in Leeds city centre.
Popular pizzeria Franco Manca has closed its Leeds restaurant.
The chain was famed for its relaxed atmosphere, quick service and affordable sourdough Neapolitan pizzas that were on offer for as little as a fiver.
The chain occupied the site on the outskirts of Trinity Shopping Centre on Trinity Street, next door to Itsu and overlooking the back entrance of Marks and Spencer.
Hoardings have now gone up, signifying the site is now empty and Franco Manca has permanently closed.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
This can also be seen on Google when searching for the restaurant branch.
It was announced earlier this year that a number of Franco Manca's restaurants would be closing across the country.
This was down to a reconstructing plan approved by creditors for the chain. The brand said it had been knocked by “disproportionately high” UK taxes and a lack of business rates relief for hospitality.
Marcel Khan, chief executive of parent firm Fulham Shore, said at the time: “We are grateful for the support shown by our creditors today.
“Franco Manca is a fantastic brand with a strong heritage and loyal customer base. With this agreement in place, we will put the business back on a firm footing and press ahead with strengthening our customer offer and performance.”
The Leeds brand was not included in the initial list of restaurant closing, but it seems further closures were made.
Miami-inspired Leeds bodega to open second site in Horsforth following huge success of first
Clementine Hall
A sandwich shop in Leeds is expanding to the suburbs.
Famed for it’s toasted Cuban sandwiches, stacked subs and loaded breakfast bagels - Alfonsos Deli has made a name for itself for serving some of the best sandwiches around the city.
Such a good reputation in fact, that they’ve just announced a second location over in the leafy suburb of Horsforth. Get in.
Currently, you'll find Alfonso's in the Grand Arcade where their light-filled and airy space is slinging out sandwiches non-stop until sell-out.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's not just sandwiches, though. They're also serving up fantastic Cuban coffee, beer and even Cuban cigars.
Basically, it's everything you'd expect to find in a deli in Miami.
The team shared the news of the expansion on social media, confirming that a brand-new Horsforth site is on the way.
While an official opening date is yet to be revealed, the announcement has already sparked plenty of excitement among loyal customers, many of whom have been calling for a second location since the deli first opened.
Alfonso's has built a devoted following in Leeds, with its signature Cubano sandwich becoming a firm favourite, while its breakfast bagels draw queues of hungover punters through the doors.
The move to Horsforth marks the next chapter for the independent business, bringing its popular menu to a whole new neighbourhood. And they're in fantastic company too, in a suburb that is flourishing with independent local businesses.
If the success of the Grand Arcade site is anything to go by, the new deli is likely to be just as busy from day one. More details, including an opening date and the full menu, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Good luck to the team, we can't wait to check it out.
Sophie Smith -
16th February 2022 
