A popular Japanese street food brand is set to open another location at Wellington Place.
Waki Maki, currently located at Leeds University Student Union, is set to open its second location in Leeds' high-end office development Wellington Place.
Known for its fresh, vibrant and fully customisable poke bowls as well as stuffed sushi burritos, Waki Maki is already a popular spot amongst students who are looking for a healthy lunch.
And now, the city's office workers will be able to get their hands on it too.
Taking over a prime ground floor space at 11 Wellington Place, the new spot will span 933 sq ft, offering indoor seating for around 30 people, plus 12 additional seats outside.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Waki Maki is known for its fresh, handmade Japanese street food, including poke bowls and jumbo sushi rolls, crafted in front of customers using premium ingredients.
The menu also features a selection of hot dishes, from katsu curries and gyozas to miso soups and rice boxes, with new items regularly introduced.
The arrival of Waki Maki follows the recent opening of Bean Coffee Roasters earlier this year, further expanding the selection of food venues at Wellington Place which includes Mad Frans, Good Luck Club, Sociable Folk, Hoist House, Café Nero, Pret A Manger, Sesame and Veeno.
Dominique Murray, associate marketing director at MEPC, the developer and asset manager behind Wellington Place, said: “At Wellington Place, we are committed to offering an exciting and diverse selection of food and drink experiences for our community. WAKI MAKI brings something truly unique with its fresh, made-to-order fusion menu, and we’re thrilled to welcome them as part of our ever-growing neighbourhood.”
Jonathan Phillips, founder of WAKI MAKI, added: “We are very excited to be joining the Wellington Place community as we’ve wanted to open a site within this vibrant and bustling neighbourhood for some time. We can’t wait to introduce people to WAKI MAKI and share our passion for delicious, high-quality Japanese street food.”
If it's good enough for Anton Stach, then it's good enough for us.
Well, it really is the signing that nobody saw coming...and it’s happening right opposite the station.
Meat:Stack, the Newcastle-born, award-winning burger joint on Bishopgate Street in Leeds, is giving the people what they want - a burger with Anton Stach’s name on it.
Introducing ‘The Moustachi Burger', officially launching Tuesday 18 August where Anton Stach himself will be down at Meat:Stack to meet United fans, sign autographs and, of course, tuck into his very own creation.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Even better, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Elhadj Diouf Foundation (EDF), a charity chosen by Stach that supports children through education.
Not only that, but it's a great opportunity to support Meat:Stack that has been suffering from the ongoing road works for months on end now.
So really, you've got no excuse to come down and tuck into the special which will be available through the opening weeks of the season.
Anton Stach, Leeds United and Germany midfielder, added: “Leeds has felt like home from very early on, and a lot of that is the people and the places around the ground, the businesses fans go to before and after a game. Meat:Stack is one of them, and they’ve had a hard time with the building work on their doorstep. The Moustachi Burger is a lovely nod to my YouTube channel too.
"This is a team on the rise in a city on the comeback, and support has to go both ways. I wanted to back a business Leeds fans care about and raising money for a foundation my family has given so much to at the same time means everything. I’ll be there on the 18th, bring your appetite.”
Independent Leeds coffee shop crowned one of the UK’s best for 2026
Clementine Hall
A list of the UK's best independent coffee shops for 2026 has been released, and one in Leeds has come up trumps.
The coffee shop in question may come as no surprise to some of you, as some would say that after 15 years in the city it's become somewhat of an institution.
Of course it's none other than Laynes.
Founded in 2011 by Dave Olejnik, Laynes began life on New Station Street and quickly became one of the first venues in Leeds to focus on carefully sourced and roasted coffee beans, helping lead the way for the city's now-thriving independent coffee scene.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's a proper Leeds staple at this point, sat proudly with its glowing yellow exterior and queues out the door full of punters looking for their morning caffeine fix.
But it's not just us who think it's flipping fantastic, as a new study has revealed the top 10 most popular independent coffee shops in the country and Laynes comes in at a very respectable number 8.
The list, made by Capital on Tap, analysed coffee across the UK looking at Google reviews, monthly searches and social media success.
Laynes was in some pretty good company including Idle Hands in Manchester and Kaf Coffee in Glasgow. But most importantly, none of the top 10 were in London - make of that what you will.
The top 10 most popular independent coffee shops for 2026:
Neighbourhood Café, Belfast
Colonna & Small’s, Bath
Established Coffee, Belfast
Hard Lines Coffee, Cardiff
Rough Handmade, Liverpool
Idle Hands Coffee, Manchester
Full Court Press, Bristol
Laynes Espresso, Leeds
Kaf Coffee, Glasgow
Dom’s Coffee, Cambridge
Bravo Laynes, a well earned accolade for one of our favourite spots in the city.
Clementine Hall -
28th May 2025 
