RAND Coffee Cab: Leeds roaster turns childhood dream into reality with city's first London taxi cafe
A slice of London’s iconic transport history is brewing up excitement in Leeds, as a local entrepreneur brings his innovative childhood dream to life.
Aydin "Mr Rand" Dogan, founder of RAND Coffee Roastery, has transformed a traditional London cab into a unique mobile cafe, offering Leeds residents a fresh take on coffee culture.
"30 years ago when I came to this country, my dream was to go to London and become a cab driver," Mr Rand told the Yorkshire Evening Post. "So when I became a coffee roaster instead, I was looking around for some sort of coffee van. But all the ideas were taken.
"So I thought, ‘What hasn’t been done in Leeds?’ That’s when I realised - there are no London taxis here operating as a food or coffee van. I decided to combine my coffee van idea with my dream of owning a London taxi."
The idea led him south of the capital to purchase the cab, which has since undergone an impressive transformation.
"We got an engineer to remove the older parts and install a coffee machine, grinders, water pumps, containers, and a generator," he explained.
The result? A fully functional mobile cafe, complete with the charm and nostalgia of London’s black cabs.
While awaiting the final licensing to operate as a café on the road, the RAND Coffee Cab has already turned heads in Leeds.
"When we drive around, people beep their horns, wave, and take pictures. Kids are especially excited - some even think it’s a real taxi," he said.
Once licensed, the eye-catching coffee cab will rotate between parking outside Mr Rand’s two - soon to be three - sites and popping up at various spots around Leeds city centre.
"Instead of people coming to us, we’re going to take our brand to them, letting them taste our coffee while they’re out and about," he added.
For Mr Rand, the venture isn’t just about business - it’s about community. "If we get good support, we’ll definitely consider adding another coffee cab to different parts of the city," he said. "When you support local independent businesses, your community becomes stronger - and so does your city."