A new coffee shop and creperie has been launched in Leicester, bringing new jobs and investment, and giving the city’s café culture a boost.
Independent coffee shop La Barista – the brainchild of businessman Chris Harding and partner Dawn Young – has agreed a five-year lease of a 1,808 sq ft retail unit at 40-50 High Street in Leicester city centre with landlords Barberry Developments.
The new café opened last month (June). Former accountant turned entrepreneur Chris said: “La Barista is a new concept in café culture, offering artisan coffee of the finest quality along with great food and entertainment. This is an excellent location for our first café, being just outside High Cross shopping centre and with good footfall.
“It is a business concept that is expandable and we are planning to grow with shops in locations across the Midlands, such as Loughborough, Coventry, Burton on Trent and cities in the East Midlands.”
He added: “Once we have got the day time trade operating successfully we intend to open in the evenings, offering an a la carte menu and live entertainment, such as acoustic jazz and blues and possibly comedy nights too.”
Alex Watson, of Barberry Developments, said: “La Barista is an exciting concept and will bring great food, great coffee and occasional musical entertainment to Leicester’s High Street. We are very pleased to welcome Chris and his new company and wish him great success with his new venture.”
Barberry has a long tradition of investing in properties through extensive refurbishment and change of use. Following discussions with Leicester City Council the premises, which originally had consent for A1 retail purposes, achieved A3 consent for restaurants and cafes allowing the sale of food and drink.
Alex added: “Everyone knows that many retailers on High Streets across the UK are struggling which is why it is so important to consider changes of use for retail units. Leicester City Council was supportive of our request for restaurant and leisure uses for the premises as they are very keen to promote growth and extend evening trade on the High Street. With La Barista, Leicester now has a fantastic addition to its café culture.”
Barberry’s High Street property comprises a modern purpose built retail unit of approximately 16,500 sq ft capable of being traded over three floors. Barberry Group has reconfigured and refurbished the building to provide three ground floor retail and leisure units with a further retail/office/leisure unit on upper floors. One retail unit and the upper floors remain available through Innes England and BNP Paribas Real Estate.
Leicester is the largest and most dominant economy in the East Midlands with an urban population of 330,574 and a district population of 758,143 within a 12-mile radius of the city centre.
The property is located on the southern side of the recently pedestrianised High Street, opposite the entrance to the Highcross Shopping Centre and House of Fraser department store. Other nearby retailers include Irish Menswear, Moss Menswear, Pilot, Two Seasons and Well Gosh. Barberry was represented by Innes England and BNP Paribas Real Estate.
