79
13%
13
Market Overview
79 cafes operate in Hull, sitting alongside 78 restaurants, 160 fast food outlets, 36 bars, and 228 pubs. That's a dense food and drink market — over 580 competing establishments in a city of 260,000. The cafe segment is heavily weighted towards coffee shops, which account for 24 of the 79 listings, meaning roughly one in three cafes positions itself primarily around coffee rather than food.
The most striking figure: only 10 of Hull's 79 cafes have a website. That's 13%. In a market where customers increasingly search online before visiting, the vast majority of local cafes are essentially invisible beyond their front door. For the 87% without a web presence, this is either a deliberate choice or a missed opportunity worth investigating.
National chains hold significant ground. Caffè Nero, Starbucks (with multiple locations), and three Asda Cafés all feature among the notable businesses with websites. Local independents like Gingers of Willerby and Brain Jar compete in a different lane — one that relies more on personality and word of mouth.
With 13 different cuisine types across 79 venues, there's variety on paper — but the concentration around coffee shops and a handful of breakfast and cake spots suggests the core cafe offering in Hull leans traditional rather than niche.
Top Types in Hull
What Customers in Hull Care About
Proper coffee, not just branded
With 24 coffee shops in the city, Hull customers have plenty of options. They can tell the difference between a well-pulled espresso and a machine default — and they'll walk past a chain for a better cup if they know where to find one.
Breakfast worth the detour
Breakfast is the second most common cafe cuisine type in Hull. Locals expect more than a tired croissant — a solid fry-up, good eggs, and decent portions are what get people through the door before 11am.
A clear alternative to Starbucks
National chains have multiple locations in the city. Customers choosing an independent cafe want something they can't get from a franchise — whether that's homemade food, local suppliers, or a space that actually feels like Hull.
Findable before they visit
With only 13% of Hull's cafes having a website, customers are relying on Google listings, reviews, and social media to decide where to go. Cafes that don't show up in search results are losing footfall to those that do.
Somewhere to actually sit
With 160 fast food outlets competing for quick-visit spend, customers who choose a cafe are often looking for the opposite — a table, a bit of time, and somewhere that doesn't rush them out the door.
Cafes operating in Hull
A sample of real cafes in this area. Want ratings, reviews, and exactly where you rank against them? Run a free report on your business.
| Business | Type |
|---|---|
| Fudge | Cafe |
| Garbutts | Cafe |
| Lucciano's | Italian |
| Bankside Cafe | Cafe |
| Soho | Cafe |
| Mustard | Cafe |
| Costa | Coffee Shop |
| Canham Turner | Cafe |
| East Park Pavilion | Regional |
| Planet Coffee | Cafe |
| Secret Garden Cafe | Cafe |
| CC Coffee | Cafe |
Business listings from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Tips for Cafes Owners in Hull
Get online — you're already ahead of 87% of competitors
Only 10 of Hull's 79 cafes have a website. You don't need anything expensive — a single page with your menu, opening hours, and location puts you ahead of most local competitors. Claim your Google Business Profile first. It's free, it's where customers start searching, and most of your rivals haven't bothered.
Pick a lane and own it
Thirteen cuisine types spread across 79 cafes suggests a lot of places trying to cover every base. Don't. If your strength is breakfast, make that your name. If it's cake, lead with it. Hull customers talk — give them something specific to recommend to a friend, not a menu that tries to do everything.
Position against fast food, not just other cafes
There are 160 fast food outlets in Hull — double the number of cafes. Your real competition isn't just the place down the road doing flat whites. It's the grab-and-go option on every corner. Emphasise that your cafe is worth sitting down in, worth slowing down for, and worth choosing over a quick fix.
Competition Snapshot
79 cafes in Hull might sound manageable, but the real competitive picture is wider. Those cafes share the city with 160 fast food outlets, 228 pubs, and 78 restaurants — all drawing from the same local food spend. Within the cafe segment, coffee shops dominate and there's limited competition in breakfast, cake, and sandwich categories. National chains hold prominent positions, yet 87% of local cafes have no website at all, making much of the competition functionally invisible online. Standing out requires either a strong digital presence — which most rivals lack — or a local reputation powerful enough to spread without one.
Cafes in Other Cities
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