Leeds coffee shop owner 'Mr Rand' plans trip to Latin America to learn more about coffee beans

The owner of a popular independent Leeds coffee shop chain plans to travel to Latin America to learn more about coffee beans and  strike a deal with farmers to get direct deliveries.
Aydin Dogan, owner of Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

Photo: James HardistyAydin Dogan, owner of Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

Photo: James Hardisty
Aydin Dogan, owner of Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds. Photo: James Hardisty

Rand Coffee Roastery is a speciality coffee company run by Aydin Dogan, who is passionate about coffee and imports beans which he sells in his shops and online.

Aydin has had to continually adapt and change how he operates the business during the pandemic - but has still managed to expand during Covid times.

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The business has won new customers who regularly stop for takeaway brews on their daily walks.

Aydin Dogan, owner of Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

Photo: James HardistyAydin Dogan, owner of Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

Photo: James Hardisty
Aydin Dogan, owner of Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds. Photo: James Hardisty

He opened his first shop called Coffee Rand on Blenheim Terrace opposite Leeds University in 2010.

In August 2019 he opened Rand Coffee Roastery on Street Lane in Roundhay.

That was followed by a third shop, which opened on Moortown Corner in Moortown in October 2020.

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Aydin - who is known to customers as 'Mr Rand' - imports coffee beans from across the world and roasts them in house to create his own unique coffees.

Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

Photo: James HardistyRand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

Photo: James Hardisty
Rand Coffee Roastery, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds. Photo: James Hardisty

Aydin said he imports up to 20 different coffee beans from countries including Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru and Columbia.

He has travelled to coffee festivals in the USA, Italy, Germany, France, and Turkey to learn more about his craft.

Aydin said: "As soon as Covid rules end I will be travelling to Latin America and visiting coffee plantations to learn more.

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"I want to meet farmers so I can buy directly from them and ensure the coffee is grown ethically.

"By buying directly we will be helping the farmers and ensuring we have more quality control."

He initially bought a small roasting machine, but has recently bought a much larger one to keep up with demand.

Aydin said: "Over the last 12 months we have had such great support from the community.

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"We have so many regular customers who have visited pretty much every day since March last year.

"We have built a really big new customer base of people who didn't even know we were here before.

"We have built up a good rapport with our customers and the majority of them have stayed with us and continue to support us."

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