A CITY centre cafe which gave a new lease of life to an old and unsightly unit appears to have closed its doors for good.

Lefteris Coffee & Tearoom opened last year in what used to be KFC, in the former Brown Muff & Co department store building on Tyrrel Street.
KFC moved to The Broadway in December 2016, leaving the prominent unit empty. 

This meant there was great anticipation when the Bradford Bakery team announced they were moving from their Rawson Place spot to a more central location. 

The space underwent a major transformation, with both the inside and out given a sleek new look befitting its new use.

Notices from a bailiff firm posted on the premises

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

But, it now appears the cafe will not be re-opening. 

A document on The Gazette, which holds official public records, notes that an extraordinary general meeting was held on April 3 and says the following resolution was made: “That it has been proved to the satisfaction of this meeting that the Company cannot, by reason of its liabilities, continue its business, and that it is advisable to wind up the same, and accordingly that the Company be wound up voluntarily.”

The second resolution notes that a liquidator was appointed for that purpose.

Two notices have now appeared on the window of the building from a bailiff company. 

There were high hopes for the cafe when it moved from its former top of town location. 

The man behind it, Terence Igbokwe, said the Rawson Square spot initially looked promising, but a lack of footfall, affected by factors including the closure of the Morrisons supermarket on Westgate, meant the bakery had lost clients.

He wanted a way to move closer to customers and felt the Tyrrel Street location would be the right spot.

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus when it opened in February last year, Mr Igbokwe said: “We believe this spot is going to give us the platform to really do what we love doing best.

“We believe this space is going to give us the foundation to spread out.

“We’ve got the ground floor space for now, the upstairs is what we don’t want to get into now because we want to lay the foundation first of all.”

He said he hoped the cafe would encourage people to stay in Bradford and highlight the independent business scene.

“We’ve been out of Bradford, places like Leeds, beyond West Yorkshire, we’ve been to Manchester and we’ve seen what is happening in these cities and it’s people staying back in the city to enjoy what the city has got to offer,” he said. 

Mr Igbokwe had said there were plans to develop the unit’s upper floor further down the line and revealed plans to branch out into a restaurant and wine bar, to offer a new place where people could go on weekends or after work.

The cafe’s closure marks another empty city centre unit as the high street in general battles against a tough climate and one made even more difficult due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Telegraph & Argus made attempts to contact Mr Igbokwe for a comment, but was unable to reach him.