“Some people come in every day, seven days a week”
16:11, 15 Apr 2026Updated 16:58, 15 Apr 2026
Johnny Lela with General Manager Maz at The Warehouse Cafe in Speke(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Tucked away on Speke Hall Road, surrounded by garages and industrial units, you wouldn’t expect to find one of south Liverpool’s busiest cafés. But step inside The Warehouse Café, and you’ll be greeted with a warm and welcoming environment full of familiar faces.
Owner Agron Lela, 41, from Garston, known to most as Johnny, decided to open the café at the start of 2020 in what stood as an empty warehouse attached to a garage after having what he described as a “vision”.
After taking the leap, he transformed the industrial shell into a bright and relaxed space.
Johnny told the ECHO: “It was very industrial, and an awkward place for people to see it going to work, but I had an opportunity and a vision, and I believed in it.
The Warehouse Cafe owner Johnny Lela(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“It was just an empty warehouse, which is where it got its name from, but I designed and built it so that people would feel like they were on holiday, and our customers really seem to love that about it.”
However, just months after opening, the country went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and while the hospitality industry was plunged into uncertainty, causing many businesses to shut their doors, Johnny kept going.
He said: “We stayed open and served all the police officers, nurses, and people in service who were working throughout Covid. It was very quiet and challenging, and I was worried we would fail, but we managed to survive.”
Government support schemes played a crucial role. Johnny added: “They helped us a lot. Without them, we would have gone bust. They kept us alive.”
The Warehouse Cafe on Speke Hall Road in Speke(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Five years on, the café has gone from what Johnny described as “strength to strength”, employing around 15 members of staff, and continues to support emergency workers with discounts. But a big part of that success, Johnny said, comes down to loyal customers.
He said: “Some people come in every day, seven days a week. We’re always busy, and we don’t advertise, so it’s very much through word of mouth. We don’t take that for granted. We appreciate their support and look after them. It’s give and take.
“We get all types of people who come in. Some people come in just for a chat. I’ve got a lady who’s 100 years old, she comes in once a week with her carer, and we sit down and talk. I think the key to success is genuinely caring about people.”
From Mediterranean breakfasts and “green eggs” to pizzas and traditional full English plates, the menu is varied, but what keeps customers coming back is consistency and more than just what’s on the plate.
The cafe was once an empty warehouse(Image: Liverpool Echo)
He said: “People know they’re going to get the same quality and taste every time. Clean, honest food.
“It’s a mixture, the food, the service, the atmosphere. We don’t rush people out. They can relax and stay as long as they want. I want to encourage people to get out of their house and feel like they can come and have a coffee and a chat and tell their story. I think that’s very important.
“People are becoming isolated and staying at home and not mixing with other people, and it’s very damaging for their health.”
Speke’s industrial landscape is evolving, and Johnny has seen the changes first-hand. But despite its unusual setting, the café has become something of a community hub.
He said: “I think the area is changing for the best. There are more businesses coming in, more people around. The area is definitely becoming more popular. We get customers from the airport coming in now, because it’s not far, and breakfast in hotels can be expensive.”
“I work seven days a week. It’s hard work, but it’s very rewarding when you see people’s reactions and compliments. That’s what makes it worth it.”