The former Leon drive-through restaurant in Harrogate is set to become a Starbucks.
North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to change the signage around the Wetherby Road site to Starbucks branding.
Permission has been given for a total of 20 signs, just over half of which would be illuminated, including ‘totem’ signs, menus and directional signs around the drive-through.
Leon, which opened last June, closed its doors on April 2 with the loss of around 20 jobs.
It was operated by Blackburn-based EG Group, which also runs Starbucks franchises as well as brands including KFC and Greggs.
Currently, the building has been empty for four months and has been stripped of its Leon branding and signage. No date has been given for it reopening as a Starbucks.
The coffee brand has only one existing presence in the Harrogate district, on Cambridge Street in the town centre.
Read more:
- No conditions for Wetherby Road drive-thru to be a Starbucks, says council
- Leon confirms Harrogate closure amid speculation over site’s future
Following the closure of the fast-food restaurant, speculation mounted over whether a Starbucks would open at the site.
The company initially considered opening a Starbucks on Wetherby Road before Leon was announced instead.
Planning documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in 2019 proposed a drive-thru “to be operated by Starbucks Coffee Company” on the site.
However, following planning approval on appeal, EG Group announced a Leon would open instead.
Residents near to the drive-thru raised concern that the scheme was not as advertised in the initial plan.
The Stray Ferret asked the borough council in April 2022 how the company was able to build the scheme as a Leon drive-thru when the original approval for the site showed a Starbucks coffee shop.
At the time, a council 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.”
The former Leon restaurant
Cooplands has closed its bakery in Boroughbridge after little more than two years.
The company, which is the second largest bakery chain in the district, opened a shop on the town’s High Street in February 2021.
But a sign appeared in the window recently saying the shop had now closed permanently and the nearest branch was on Beulah Street in Harrogate.
The Harrogate shop
The Stray Ferret asked Cooplands why it had closed its Boroughbridge branch and how many staff were affected.
A spokesperson said:
“Following an in-depth review of the business, we have proposed to make some changes to both our retail and bakery operations, to help better position the business for the long-term and sustainable growth.
“This has been done to ensure that our store estate and broader business are fully aligned with our ‘modern bakery food-to-go retailer’ strategy.
“As a result, we have entered into a consultation process with a number of colleagues. We appreciate that this may be unsettling for colleagues and our priority is to support them fully throughout this process.”
The spokesperson declined to comment beyond the statement.
Cooplands started as a single shop in Scarborough in 1885 and now has more than 160 shops in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the North East.
It was bought in 2021 by the EG Group.
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Leon confirms Harrogate closure amid speculation over site’s future
Leon has confirmed its Harrogate restaurant will close in just over two weeks’ time — as speculation mounts over the site’s future.
The Stray Ferret revealed this week the Wetherby Road fast food venue would cease trading, with the loss of about 20 jobs, on April 2.
Staff were informed of the decision on Monday.
A Leon spokesperson said today:
“We’re confirming we have decided to close the doors of Leon Harrogate on Wetherby Road. Our last trading day will be April 2.
“Guests will still be able to get their Leon fix at the drive-thru in Gildersome, and at the Leon Leeds Station restaurant.”
Retailer EG Group operates sites with franchise partners including Starbucks, Greggs and KFC in the UK.
It considered opening a Starbucks on Wetherby Road before Leon was announced instead.
Our Facebook post about Leon’s closure generated about 400 replies, with people eager to know what will follow.
Some local residents had objected to the site being used as a fast food restaurant because of its proximity to homes and the busy junction of Wetherby Road and Hookstone Drive.
Vehicles will stop using the site after April 2 — but it could only be a temporary pause until a new business moves in.
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