Coffee company to open second city branch

Leeds-based ethical coffee company North Star will open its new takeaway coffee shop on Sovereign Street next month.

The site will be North Star’s second shop in the city. Family-run North Star was founded in 2013 by Alex and Holly Kragiopoulos, who are both from Leeds.

The new shop, which will create two new roles taking North Star’s team to 24, will serve specialty grade coffees supplied by its network of producing partners in Brazil, Rwanda, Colombia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Guatemala, Peru and El Salvador.

North Star, which received B Corp status in June and was the first coffee roaster in the UK to have 100% home compostable packaging, has designed its new shop to be sustainable.

The countertops will be made using recycled paper and cardboard and the flooring will be from Recork, suppliers of functional cork flooring that helps reverse global warming.

Holly Kragiopoulos, co-founder and CEO, said: “Opening our second shop in Leeds is a key step in our growth and impact strategy.

“Our new Sovereign Street take-away shop, when it opens next month, will be ideally situated for more consumers to enjoy our quality coffee and bakes, and each time they do, they will be helping provide a solution to some of the endemic issues in the supply chain.

“As we approach our tenth year in business, our commitment to building a coffee industry that works for everyone is unwavering and just as vital as it was when we opened our roastery in Leeds almost ten years ago.

“The support from the local community has been a strong factor in North Star’s success to date and opening our second shop in the city and creating further roles was a natural step. We look forward to welcoming new and old customers alike.”

Leeds Dock-based Nova Bakehouse supplies North Star with pastries and sourdough bread.