Kofi and Co Roundhay: Meet the brothers behind the new Leeds cafe and restaurant opening on Street Lane

Kofi and Co was founded by 29-year-old Harrison Pinder in 2020, after the former area manager of coffee shop chain Filmore and Union was made redundant at the start of the pandemic.

He launched his first site on Market Place, Wetherby, just two weeks before the second lockdown, but continued trading as a takeaway cafe with big success.

Now Harrison and his artist brother George are preparing to open a joint venture in their home suburb of Roundhay, which is set to open in a few weeks time.

“We serve food that everyone loves, all the favourites,” Harrison told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“You can get a sausage and bacon sandwich or you can get our homemade fried chicken or smashed avocado. We've got our own unique blend of coffee, we keep the food very seasonal and we change our menus two to three times a year.

“During Covid, there was a lot of support for small, independent businesses over the big companies and I think what we were doing struck a chord with a lot of people. We’ve built a name for ourselves.”

Kofi and Co’s regulars include everyone from professional footballers to elderly couples, Harrison said, and a big part of the business is serving something for every taste.

The new Kofi and Co is located on Street Lane, taking over the cafe which was most recently Roundhay Perk.

Get a bespoke headline round-up, as well as breaking updates, when you sign up to the Yorkshire Evening Post’s free emails

Harrison said: “I've always wanted to open a cafe in Roundhay- it’s my roots, it’s where I know best and where all my friends and family are from. And I wanted to be on that parade on Street Lane.

“I drove past the cafe and didn’t see any signs that it was up for sale, but I had this feeling I should check online anyway.

“I looked online and it was there. It felt like something was right. Being from the area, it’s a big thing for us.”

Harrison is opening the new cafe in collaboration with his brother, who has a degree in Fine Art, and they have plans to open a gallery on the first floor once the venue has found its feet.

“We don’t just want it to be a restaurant, we want it to be more than that,” Harrison said.

“We’ve designed this venue from scratch, had interior designers in and spent hours and many evenings getting it ready. It’s more what Kofi is about and we’ve been able to put our stamp on it.”

Kofi and Co will serve a wide-ranging menu including specialty coffee, pancakes and French toast, cakes, sweet treats and a full bar menu.

Harrison hopes it will bring something different to his home suburb as they prepare to welcome in their first Roundhay customers.

He added: “Although it’s one of the hardest industries to work in, the amount of different people you get to meet makes it all worthwhile. You can put a smile on people’s faces through food.”