Sonder: Cafe in Leeds city centre put up for sale as owners thank customers after 'full circle moment'

A Leeds couple have put their “beloved” café in the city centre up for sale as they get ready to grow their family.

Sonder in the Grand Arcade has been placed on the market “for a plethora of reasons”, with an asking price of £85,000.

Married couple Olivia Fayne Wright and Dave Wright, who opened the Japanese-and-retro-inspired venue in November 2023, said that they want the business to be taken over by someone who could expand it further and “really fulfil its potential”.

The two-storey site acts as a café, a hireable venue space and a spot to purchase bespoke interior and lifestyle products.

Sonder was recently named ‘Best Cafe’ at the Faves Awards, which Dave - who is known locally as ‘Morley Dave’ - said is what pushed the couple to decide to put the business up for sale.

“It felt like a full-circle moment for us”, he said. “There’s something wholesome about choosing to step back and hand over the reins when such valid recognition comes our way.”

The couple also own and operate a tattoo studio on Fish Street called Fyne The Studio and said that they want to focus their attention on that business.

Olivia said: “We love our businesses so much and Sonder deserves time and attention that we just don’t have at the minute.”

The couple are expecting their second child in November. Dave said: “We’re about to start our fourth start-ups, as Liv likes to say.

“Rather than stretching ourselves too thin, we felt that now is the right time to pass the baton to a new owner or owners, who can really fulfil Sonder’s potential. We know there’s huge room for growth and for Sonder to become even bigger and better. Potentially even rolled out nationwide.”

Dave said that their time running Sonder had not been plain sailing, with issues over signage, a lack of footfall due to the venue’s “tricky” location and the general “tough” conditions in the hospitality industry.

He said: “We’ve sank upwards of £80,000 in to that property.

“We’ve built something special that we’re incredibly proud of. But we’re also realistic about the wider industry.

“Hospitality right now is tough. Rising costs, tight margins and a VAT landscape that continues to challenge independent brands across the entire UK. As independent business owners, we simply don’t have the capital to sit and wait for the storm to pass, especially now with a second child on the way.”

He added: “But Sonder has proven its place, its demand and its potential. The right person, with the right resources, will take Sonder to the next level.”

The couple thanked everyone who has visited over the last three years, with Olivia saying: “We can’t thank our community enough for all the support they’ve given us. It’s been incredible and beyond heart-warming to see people caring about Sonder just as much as we do.”

The couple said that they are open to a full sale but insist that the “current team are kept in place and supported to grow even further” and that the main ethos is maintained; that Sonder is a safe space for all and “an escape from the day to day”.

They also said that they would be open to discussing alternatives, such as angel investment and split equity options.

The sale is being marketed by Alan J Pickmen and is available to view on Rightmove.com.