Etto Caffé Opens Site at Designer Outlet Leeds, Castleford 2026

Key Points

• Family-run business Etto Caffé is launching a new venue at Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds, situated at Tomahawk Trail in Glasshoughton, Castleford.
• The café concept is operated by MASS & CO, which falls under the wider Massarella Catering Group—a family enterprise with over 150 years of UK history.
• The venue will occupy a primary corner site featuring an extensive outdoor dining terrace for year-round and seasonal capacity.
• Menu offerings will center on all-day brunch, artisan coffee, light lunches, and freshly prepared meals using locally sourced produce where possible.
• Rachel Scott, Head of Leasing at Global Mutual, and Joeseph Massarella, Operations Director at Etto Caffé, highlighted the strategic addition of independent hospitality concepts to the outlet’s retail environment.
• The official opening date for the new site remains to be confirmed.

Castleford (The Leeds Times) August 19, 2026 – Family-operated hospitality business Etto Caffé has formally signed a deal to open its latest site at Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds. Located at Tomahawk Trail in Glasshoughton, Castleford, the new establishment will occupy a prominent corner plot within the retail complex, complete with a sizeable outdoor dining terrace designed to boost seating capacity during warmer months. The site is operated under MASS & CO, a division of the Massarella Catering Group owned and run by the Massarella and Bergomi families. The upcoming venue will introduce an all-day brunch and speciality coffee service, aiming to diversify the food and beverage offerings currently available to visitors at the outlet destination.

What Does the Etto Caffé Expansion Mean for Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds?

The arrival of Etto Caffé marks a deliberate effort to broaden the dining choices at the Castleford-based retail hub. The site operates under the name Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds, serving as a regional shopping hub. Etto Caffé will join a selection of existing food and drink chains and speciality outlets, including 200 Degrees Coffee, Chopstix, Costa, Greggs, Starbucks, and Bakers + Baristas.

The new venue will operate as an all-day dining space focusing on freshly prepared food and speciality beverages. Its menu encompasses all-day brunch options, coffee, light lunches, artisan cakes, and Italian gelato, building on the operational model established at its existing locations outside central London.

The inclusion of a large outdoor dining terrace forms a core part of the design, intended to cater to increased customer footfall during peak seasons.

As reported by Hospitality & Catering News, Rachel Scott, Head of Leasing at Global Mutual, stated:

“Etto Caffé brings something genuinely different to the outlet. Its strong family values, locally driven approach and emphasis on creating welcoming social spaces make the brand a natural fit for Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds. As we continue evolving the destination, it’s important that our food and beverage offering reflects a mix of well-loved brands and independent concepts that add character and variety to the visitor experience.”

How Does MASS & CO Plan to Operate the New Outlet?

The operational layout of the new venue is designed around freshly prepared, locally sourced ingredients. Etto Caffé relies on daily on-site food preparation and regional supply chains to maintain its product quality.

As reported by Hospitality & Catering News, Joeseph Massarella, Operations Director at Etto Caffé, stated:

“We are delighted to partner with Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds and look forward to welcoming local people and visitors to the region with our well-known family hospitality. Our mission is to create spaces and menus for everyone. We believe in local business and source our produce from local suppliers wherever possible, serving fresh dishes, prepared daily on site.”

The brand’s operational model is structured around non-central London retail destinations, enabling it to focus on regional shopping outlets and department store environments.

What Is the Background of the Massarella Family Business?

The development of Etto Caffé is backed by a family lineage in UK retail catering that spans more than 150 years. The business traces its beginnings back to Giovanni Massarella and his brothers, who emigrated from Italy and settled in South Yorkshire. The enterprise initially established itself in ice cream production before expanding into broader retail catering operations.

Today, the parent organization, Massarella Catering Group, manages nearly 60 coffee shops and restaurants across the United Kingdom.

The group employs approximately 1,000 workers across various commercial environments, including department stores, garden centres, shopping malls, and outlet centres.

Etto Caffé represents one of the group’s modern boutique concepts under MASS & CO. The brand previously demonstrated its outlet model at Dalton Park in County Durham, which opened in November 2021. That location established the brand’s blueprint of offering artisanal coffee, brunch, fresh baked goods, and gelato within regional shopping centers.

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What Is the Background of This Particular Development?

Over recent years, UK outlet centres and commercial retail destinations have adjusted their leasing strategies to counter changing consumer habits.

The inclusion of varied food and beverage (F&B) choices has become a critical mechanism for extending dwell time and encouraging higher footfall.

At Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds, asset manager Global Mutual has continually updated the site’s F&B profile. Recent additions have included Nottingham-founded speciality coffee chain 200 Degrees and quick-service Asian restaurant brand Chopstix.

The integration of independent and family-backed operators alongside multinational chains reflects a wider trend across destination retail, where landlords seek to combine national brand recognition with distinct local concepts.

Similar shifts are occurring across major UK retail destinations. For instance, independent operator 1996 Group recently announced plans to launch its new French toast and ube concept, Toasteé, at Westfield White City, demonstrating how major shopping centers are actively integrating niche, independent hospitality concepts into their master plans.

How Could This Development Affect Regional Consumers and Retail Tenants?

The arrival of Etto Caffé at Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds is set to impact several key stakeholder groups across the regional retail ecosystem:

• Local Shoppers and Visitors: Consumers using the Glasshoughton facility will gain access to an expanded, sit-down dining alternative featuring an outdoor terrace. The focus on all-day brunch and locally sourced produce provides a distinct sit-down alternative to fast-casual and quick-service choices already present on site.
• Local Suppliers and Producers: Because MASS & CO emphasizes regional sourcing, food suppliers and producers in West Yorkshire stand to benefit from new commercial supply contracts to service the café’s daily menu requirements.
• Destination Landlords and Asset Managers: For Global Mutual and similar commercial real estate managers, successfully launching independent hospitality concepts validates the strategy of mixing national chains with family-run businesses. This balance can raise the appeal of retail outlets, encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more.
• Competing Retail Catering Operators: Existing F&B outlets within the Castleford centre will experience increased competition in the coffee and lunch categories. However, the overall expansion of dining choices is designed to lift total venue footfall, creating positive spillover effects across the site.