A new coffee shop and bakery will open its doors in Leicester city centre today (Monday, 19 January), bringing speciality coffee and freshly baked goods to a landmark heritage site.
Public, which already operates cafés in Mountsorrel, Loughborough and Nottingham, is expanding into Leicester with a new venue at Canopy, the former factory buildings on King Street that are being transformed into a major new workspace for the city’s creative businesses.
Picture credit: Leicester City Council
The coffee shop will occupy Canopy’s central atrium, set beneath a glazed roof and surrounded by retained heritage features including exposed brickwork and original factory beams. Customers will be able to enjoy Allpress coffee alongside Public’s filled croissants and baked goods, while watching sourdough being made in the on-site bakery.
Raffaele Russo, chief creative officer at Public, said the team was excited to become part of the city.
“We’re really looking forward to becoming part of Leicester,” he said. “The response so far has been incredibly warm, and it’s been great to see the excitement building already.
“We’ve always been drawn to buildings with character, so Canopy, with its original factory features, feels like a natural home for Public. We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome people in for good coffee, croissants and a menu that reflects the way we like to do things.”
The Canopy development is part of a £14.6 million regeneration project led by Leicester City Council to transform the cluster of heritage buildings at Pilot House into 33,000 square feet of high-quality workspace. The scheme includes offices, meeting rooms and conference facilities, a co-working lounge, reception area and an outdoor courtyard.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said the project would become a new focal point for the city.
“We’ve transformed a group of significant but disused heritage buildings into a new hub for start-up and growing businesses, creating a landmark destination that will become a source of pride for Leicester,” he said.
“As well as supporting high-quality jobs in the city’s thriving creative sector, this important redevelopment will contribute to the wider regeneration and prosperity of King Street, Belvoir Street, Market Street and the New Walk area. It will also complement recent landmark developments like the Gresham Building.”
He added that the opening of the coffee shop would give residents a first opportunity to see the transformed space in use.
“Public’s coffee shop and bakery will be at the heart of Canopy, filling the space with the aroma of fresh coffee and warm bread while creating 30 new jobs. I’d like to give the team a warm welcome to Leicester and wish their new venture well.”
Canopy is due to be formally opened in spring 2026, although one business – the Leather Conservation Centre – is already operating from the site. By the end of March, around 10 more businesses are expected to move in, with the development ultimately supporting around 250 jobs in the city centre.
The new workspace will be run by the same team that manages the council’s creative hubs at LCB Depot, Phoenix Square and Makers’ Yard.
Anyone interested in workspace availability at Canopy can email workspace development manager James Burkmar at Canopy@lcbdepot.co.uk.
The redevelopment of Pilot House was carried out by Henry Brothers Construction under contract to Leicester City Council, with £9.9 million of support from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
