And finally… Brunch brand selects York
Manchester-born Federal is taking space on Coney Street, where it plans to open a 100-cover cafe within a grade two-listed building.
The venue will feature Federal’s trademark all-day brunch and speciality coffee, alongside seasonal food and drink menus, with the cafe retaining original brickwork and other heritage features of the historic building.
A large outdoor area and second level will provide additional seating, with the venue also offering potential for private hire and events.
Fit-out work at the Coney Street venue is due to begin in late September, ahead of its planned opening later this year.
Federal was founded in Manchester in 2014 and has three venues in the city. It opened its first Yorkshire site in Leeds in December last year.
In January of this year, the café group secured £3m from private equity backer Foresight to support a further 18 sites across the North by 2030.
Federal currently employs 74 staff across four sites – three in Manchester and one in Leeds, having ventured into Yorkshire in late 2025. The business was founded in 2014 by Claudio Ribeiro.
Foresight said that Federal has a significant opportunity to expand by accelerating its site rollout and replicating its successful offering and operating model. Foresight comes with experience in the F&B sector, having been involved with the rollout of brands including Mowgli, 200 Degrees Coffee and Roxy Leisure.
The brand said its expansion was being driven by its popularity with customers, having been named the UK’s most popular independent cafe and ranked fourth globally.
Federal’s cafes are inspired by the neighbourhood coffee shops of Australia and New Zealand, with its ‘Sunny Side Service’ ethos aimed at making sure customers leave feeling better than when they arrived.
Ribeiro said: “York feels like a natural fit for Federal. It has a strong independent spirit, a huge student community, and a thriving food and drink scene, alongside an incredible year-round visitor economy.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have found a fantastic location and we’re excited to create something that feels unmistakably Federal while celebrating the history and character of the building.”
