Harrogate’s Leon drive-thru restaurant on Wetherby Road will open on Friday from 7am.
The Mediterranean-inspired fast food chain will be open daily from 7am to 10pm, except Sundays when it will be open from 8am to 10pm. It will have 70 covers, including some outdoor seating.
The restaurant has created 20 jobs and will feature digital kiosks.
Alex Parkinson, a Harrogate local who was originally hired by Leon as the assistant general manager at the firm’s Gildersome drive-thru, is leading the team.
The company describes itself as being good for the environment and its menu includes “carbon neutral” burgers, rice boxes, breakfast muffins, egg pots and cakes.
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The opening will end a saga that has gone back several years.
Originally, a Starbucks coffee drive-thru was planned for the site but it was refused by Harrogate Borough Council only for the decision to be overturned by a government inspector.
Concerns remain from residents who live near the site on how the drive-thru will affect traffic on the busy Wetherby Road.
Leon was bought by Blackburn billionaires the Issa brothers in 2021.
Glenn Edwards, Leon’s managing director said:
No conditions for Wetherby Road drive-thru to be a Starbucks, says council“Since opening our first drive-thru restaurant last year, we have been eager to grow this style of restaurant in order to bring Leon to more guests and allow them to experience Leon while on the go – something that aligns with our mission to bring naturally fast food that tastes good, does you good and is kind to the planet.
“Our opening in Harrogate is a massive achievement across all fronts.”
No conditions were set for a planned drive-thru on Wetherby Road to be a coffee shop, say Harrogate council officials.
Lancashire-based developer Euro Garages is currently building a Leon restaurant on the site, despite being given permission for a Starbucks drive-thru.
Local residents have raised concern that the building on the site will be different from that which was approved.
Harrogate Borough Council has acknowledged that the building being constructed is not the same as the designs submitted to the authority.
However, it added that the developer has already submitted another application for the design which is under consideration.
Opening a drive-thru on Wetherby Road is ‘nuts’
Joe Shields lives across from the former Dental surgery site where the Leon is being built.
He and other residents have objected to the drive-thru being built since is was first proposed as a Starbucks in 2019.
While he is not against redeveloping the site, he raised concern over the drive-thru and its affect on neighbouring residents.
Read more:
- Harrogate council to pay Leon developer £25,000 in appeal costs
- Harrogate council ‘demonstrated unreasonable behaviour’ over Starbucks rejection, says inspector
Mr Shields, who worked as a marketing manager for various companies including fast-food chains, said:
“I have opened a few drive-thrus, I’m not against them.
“It is opening a drive-thru here which is nuts.”
Mr Shields pointed to the fact that the building at the site does not look like its designs.
A Starbucks drive-thru normally has a slanted roof, while Leon schemes are flat.
(Left) Designs for the Starbucks as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and (right) the construction site of the Leon.
He questioned how the developer can continue to build a Leon, despite the fact that a government planning inspector gave approval for a Starbucks coffee shop drive-thru.
Last week, Mr Shields was forced to alert the planning authorities when contractors at the site began to erect an eight-metre advertising sign without permission.
He said:
“There are changes at the site on a daily basis.
“My impression is that they will just continue wacking this [the Leon] up.”
Meanwhile, David Stephenson lives next door to the site on Coachman’s Court.
David Stephenson, whose house on Coachman’s Court is next to the drive-thru site on Wetherby Road.
Mr Stephenson has lived with his wife in the same house for six years and would be able to see the serving hatch from his lounge window.
He said that he has accepted the fact that a drive-thru will be built next door to his home.
However, Mr Stephenson said he was concerned that the building being built is not the same as the designs.
He said:
“We were resigned to a Starbucks, but this is a bit overbearing.
“Why apply for planning permission if you’re going to do another building?”
No specific conditions for a coffee shop
The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council how the developer was able to build the scheme as a Leon drive-thru when the original approval for the site is for a Starbucks coffee shop.
A spokesperson said:
“Permission was granted by the Planning Inspectorate for a ‘coffee shop to include a drive-thru’, not specifically for a Starbucks.
“The Inspectorate did not add any conditions to the permission they gave restricting the use of the premises solely to a coffee shop, so it can legally be used for any other use within the same use class, which includes a drive thru food and drink establishment.
“So permission is not required for any change of use. However, the building being built differs from the one given planning permission. Therefore, a planning application has been submitted for these changes and is under consideration.”
The Stray Ferret also asked Euro Garages to respond to concerns over the building and erecting advertising without permission, but the company declined to comment.
Leon to open drive thru restaurant in HarrogateFast food chain Leon is recruiting staff to work at a drive thru restaurant in Harrogate.
The company, which has about 70 outlets in the UK, is to open on the Wetherby Road site that received planning permission to be a Starbucks..
The Stray Ferret revealed last month that speculation was growing that the site could host a Leon.
Now Alex Parkinson, general manager of the first Leon drive thru in Leeds, is advertising for staff.
In a post on a Facebook recruitment site, she said:
“I’m currently the general manager of the first Leon drive thru in Gildersome, Leeds — and I’m super-excited about opening our second drive thru in Harrogate.
“We are looking for team members and supervisors to join us.”
Read more:
Leon describes itself as a place that sells healthy fast food that is environmentally friendly.
Options include vegan sausage muffins, Harissa chicken salad and blackberry, apple and ginger porridge
Leon was recently bought by Euro Garages group, which was awarded planning permission last year to open a drive-thru Starbucks on Wetherby Road.
Harrogate Costa drive-thru to open next month
A Costa drive-thru will open next month near Pannal after coronavirus delayed construction works.
The coffee company has not yet pinned down a specific date but will open the Leeds Road drive-thru in August.
It’s the first time Costa has announced an opening date with much of the external works already complete.
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Harrogate Borough Council approved the demolition of a petrol station and shops for the development despite concerns over traffic.
A Costa Coffee spokesperson, told The Stray Ferret:
“We’re delighted to be safely opening new stores across our estate, aswell as reopening existing stores in line with government guidelines – returning the Nation’s Favourite to customers by serving them a perfectly handcrafted cup of coffee.”