A new frozen yoghurt spot in Headingley has become one of Leeds’ biggest foodie hits of the summer, with queues around the block, colourful creations taking over social media and a fresh line-up of seasonal flavours now on the way.
Mediterranean-inspired KefiYo opened its doors on Ash Road this summer, next to Leeds Beckett University’s sports campus and just moments from Headingley Cricket Ground and Leeds rugby ground.
And it hasn’t taken long for word to spread.
Since opening, the colourful café has built a devoted following among students, Gen Z food fans, families and frozen yoghurt lovers, with customers regularly queuing outside to get their hands on a bowl.
Social feeds have also begun filling up with fully loaded KefiYo creations, as customers put their own spin on the café’s mix-and-match froyo concept.
The current range features seven customer favourites – mango, coconut, matcha, natural, passion fruit, strawberry and mixed berry – alongside a rotating vegan frozen yoghurt flavour which changes each week.
And with summer drawing to a close, KefiYo is already preparing its next chapter, with a new collection of autumn flavours currently in development and set to be revealed soon.
Customers can customise their bowls with as many standard toppings as they like at no extra charge, while superfoods and selected premium toppings can be added for an additional cost.
KefiYo is also currently offering introductory launch pricing across its small, medium and large bowls, giving customers plenty of excuse to come back and try a completely different combination.
But froyo is only part of the story.
The wider menu includes açaí bowls, smoothies, speciality coffees and matcha, while KefiYo has also been taking its growing community beyond the café through local Pilates pop-ups and run clubs.
The events bring together movement, food and socialising, with participants served matcha and açaí bowls with unlimited standard toppings.
KefiYo’s rapid rise has even caught the attention of national media, with co-founder Gagan Chera recently appearing on BBC News to discuss the challenges businesses face during heatwaves.
Chera said: “The response since we opened this summer has been incredible. It took us almost a year to get the café open and perfect the flavour and texture, so seeing queues around the block, brilliant creations all over social media and customers of all ages enjoying KefiYo has made every bit of that work worthwhile.”
The name itself comes from the Greek word “kefi”, meaning joy, passion and zest for life – a fitting description for a brand built around colourful food, community and having a bit of fun with what’s in your bowl.
With its first summer already producing queues, social buzz and a loyal local following, KefiYo now looks set to carry that momentum into autumn – with plenty more flavours still to come.
KefiYo is at 17 Ash Rd, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3JJ.
Find out more at kefiyo.com, follow @kefi.yo on Instagram or @kefiyo.leeds on TikTok.
