Laynes Cafe celebrates 15 years in Leeds with £1.50 coffees, a brand refresh and a growing bakery

One of Leeds’ best-loved independent coffee destinations, Laynes Cafe, is marking 15 years in the city — and is saying thank you with £1.50 coffees all day on Wednesday 3rd June, alongside a brand refresh, a refreshed menu, and an expanding Laynes Bakery supplying cafes and delis across Leeds.

Founded in 2011 by Dave Olejnik, Laynes began life on New Station Street and quickly became one of the first venues in Leeds to focus on carefully sourced and roasted coffee beans, helping lead the way for the city’s now-thriving independent coffee scene.

Over the last 15 years, Laynes has become a fixture in Leeds city centre, growing alongside the city’s food and drink culture while building a loyal following for its quality-led approach, relaxed atmosphere and commitment to doing things properly. Its success has seen the business expand twice, each time taking over the neighbouring unit next door.

The 3rd June £1.50 coffee day marks the start of a year of celebrations, with pop-up events, collaborations and milestones rolling out across 2026 — a deliberate move away from a single anniversary moment toward something the whole city can be part of throughout the year.

Alongside the birthday, Laynes is rolling out a brand refresh with Saul Studios, refreshing its daytime menu (including what Dave reckons might be the best hash browns in the world…maybe), and continuing to grow Laynes Bakery, which launched in 2023 and now supplies a growing list of independent cafes and delis across Leeds. A new range of bespoke pastries has been developed at the bakery’s Armley site, with further wholesale partnerships planned through the rest of the year.

Founder Dave Olejnik has played a major role in shaping Leeds’ hospitality scene over the last decade and a half. In addition to establishing Laynes, he opened pasta restaurant Sarto at Munro House in late 2019, launched Laynes Bakery in 2023, and also runs Dot the Lions at Leeds Arts University.

Dave Olejnik, founder of Laynes Cafe, said: “We never really got to celebrate being 10 — covid had other ideas — so 15 feels like the one to do properly. When I opened Laynes in 2011, the aim was to create somewhere that really cared about coffee, quality and hospitality. To be celebrating 15 years now is incredibly special. Leeds has changed so much in that time, and it’s been amazing to see the city’s independent food and drink scene grow and flourish. We’re really proud to have been part of that journey.

“Rather than mark it with one big day, we wanted to celebrate across the whole year — kicking off with £1.50 coffees on June 3rd as a thank you to everyone who’s kept us going. This next chapter for Laynes is a bit of a refresh with Saul Studios, an updated menu with quite possibly the best hash browns in the world, and the bakery continuing to grow. Feels like a great way to celebrate where we’ve come from while continuing to evolve.”

From its beginnings as one of the city’s early speciality coffee pioneers to its place today as a much-loved Leeds institution, Laynes’ 15th year marks both a celebration of its story so far and an exciting glimpse of what comes next.

£1.50 coffees all day at Laynes Cafe, New Station Street, Leeds — Wednesday 3rd June