North Star Coffee Leeds expands into Victoria Quarter and Great George Street as B Corp roaster doubles down on the city
Leeds specialty coffee roaster North Star Coffee Leeds is opening two new city centre locations this June — a takeaway kiosk and retail store on Great George Street, and a site in the Victoria Quarter. The expansion, described by the company as its most significant retail investment to date, will take the B Corp certified business to six locations across the city. North Star was founded in Leeds in 2013 and currently operates a coffee shop and general store at Leeds Dock, a roastery on Tong Road in Armley, a kiosk on Sovereign Street, and a coffee hub at Leeds Dock.
The Two New Sites
The Great George Street location will be a takeaway-focused kiosk and retail store, serving specialty coffee alongside house-made breakfast and lunch sandwiches, baked goods, and a curated selection of retail coffee and brewing equipment. Great George Street sits between the university campus and the civic quarter, giving North Star Coffee Leeds a presence in the northern part of the city centre it doesn’t currently have.
The Victoria Quarter site places the brand inside one of Leeds’ most prominent retail and heritage destinations. The timing aligns with a period of active leasing at Victoria Leeds, where owner Redical has recently signed AS Colour, Lisa Angel, Finisterre, ALO, and Randox Health — a pattern of independent and first-to-region brands choosing the destination over more traditional retail locations. For North Star, the move signals a shift from Leeds Dock and south Leeds towards the heart of the city centre’s retail core.
“Choosing to invest now is a reflection of our belief in Leeds, and in the long-term value of creating spaces people genuinely want to spend time in. As a Leeds-born business, we’re incredibly proud to continue investing in our city.”
— Holly Kragiopoulos, CEO, North Star Coffee Roasters
The North Star Growth Story
North Star was among the first specialty coffee roasters in the North of England when it launched in 2013, and was one of the UK’s earliest B Corp certified coffee businesses. The company won the Young British Foodie award in 2015 and became the first UK coffee company to offer home compostable packaging in 2021. It roasts all its own coffee at the Tong Road facility and sources beans through direct relationships with growers, with funded impact projects in producing countries including El Salvador. The two new city centre openings will also create jobs across both sites, with CEO Holly Kragiopoulos noting the expansion creates opportunities for both new and existing team members.
Why this matters for Leeds
North Star choosing to open two new city centre sites at a time when many hospitality businesses are cautious about expansion is a confident move. The Victoria Quarter location in particular is notable — it adds a well-known Leeds independent to a destination that’s been actively signing new brands. The Great George Street kiosk fills a gap in the northern city centre near the universities. For a B Corp certified, Leeds-founded business that roasts its own coffee and sources ethically, doubling its city centre presence is a statement about where the company sees the Leeds market heading.
- Learn more about North Star: https://www.northstarroast.com/
