The DelishYoss coffee kiosk, presided over by proprietor, Yossi Mazon, stands at a critical urban interchange: the junction where St Mark’s Park meets Broughton Road and Bonnington Road.
Housed in a repurposed, iconic blue police box, the kiosk sits at the geographic heart of a web of footpaths and cycleways that converge at the park, serving those commuting from the city centre or navigating the route towards Leith.
In the grander vision of Edinburgh’s infrastructure, this kiosk is perfectly positioned. It sits near the proposed active travel link intended to connect Powderhall to Abbeyhill, following the corridor of the former railway line. However, the immediate reality of this location is currently one of conflict.
Development which began only recently on the site (after considerable delays) led to the abrupt closure of St Mark’s Path. This decision, made with startlingly little warning, sparked a local campaign demanding reinstated access and significantly improved signposting to prevent commuters from being stranded by a fence.
Seven years of resilience: the one-man band
For seven years, DelishYoss Coffee Bar has operated as a true “one-man band.” What began as a risky leap of faith – a personal investment in a neglected corner of the city – has evolved into a vital community fixture. Yossi recalls the early days of uncertainty, questioning if the footfall would ever justify the endeavour. Yet, through the lonely hardships of the COVID-19 lockdowns, when the kiosk served as one of the few safe points of human contact for the neighbourhood, the business transformed.
Today, it is a place where neighbours are known by name and dogs are greeted with as much enthusiasm as their owners. As one online reviewer put it, “Yossi’s exuberance and genuine interest in his customers is the thing’. This sense of continuity is now under a grave existential threat.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Powderhall development represents a massive shift in the local landscape. While the creation of new elderly accommodation and a nursery is a noble long-term goal, the execution has placed an immense burden on the area’s smallest stakeholder. Despite Yossi’s five years of proactive outreach, he was provided with just four days’ notice of a two-year path closure. This path is the primary artery for his customers. It was opened temporarily over the Christmas and New Year period.
Without a formal impact assessment or mitigation plan, Yossi is fighting to ensure this local landmark does not become mere collateral damage to city growth.
A sensory witness to rapid transformation
To stand at the kiosk today is to witness a city in the middle of a metamorphosis. Just over the construction fence, what had long been an overgrown bowling green – a secret pocket of the neighbourhood – is now a stretch of dark, wet earth. It has been scraped bare, levelled by heavy machinery, and poised for the concrete foundations of the future.
The cost of this transformation is palpable. While the path closure temporarily severed trade, a burst of local publicity and community solidarity brought a welcome uptick in customers. There is a hope that this loyalty will endure, but the reality of a two-year construction site, complete with heavy machinery, dust, and noise, weighs heavily. The prospect that the business might become unviable during the peak of the works is a constant shadow over the daily grind of steaming milk.
The craft of the kiosk: the right brew for the venue
As a café reviewer, my palate is typically tuned to the “third wave” of coffee; the fruitier, lighter roasts championed by Edinburgh specialty houses like Cafen, Kul, and Ante. I was curious to see how DelishYoss would navigate these modern trends. What I found was a refreshingly honest approach to the craft, perfectly suited to the kiosk format.
This is not a venue for lingering over delicate tasting notes. It is a stop where time and efficiency are precious. You won’t find the theatricality of a slow-drip pour-over here. The clientele at this crossroads want something direct and energising to fuel a cycle to the office or a walk through the park. Yossi works with an economy of motion that only comes from seven years of solo operation. The macchiato I received was a marked contrast to the specialty norm: a dark, satisfying brew crowned with a thick, resilient crema. It was a masterclass in traditional Italian-style espresso. At DelishYoss, the execution is spot on.
Filling the gap: green spaces and social infrastructure
The kiosk is strategically placed to serve the often-overlooked green lungs of the city: St Mark’s Park and Redbraes Park. Edinburgh’s abundance of accessible green areas is a signature strength, but these spaces require “social infrastructure” to truly thrive. A coffee stop here makes complete sense; it fills a genuine geographic gap. Positioned between Canonmills and the eateries of Leith Walk, DelishYoss serves a demographic that would otherwise have to trek significant distances for a quality cup. It offers unique, daily access to the surrounding paths and the spontaneous routes of local life.
Gentrification tensions and the measure of a city
The presence of this kiosk reflects the changing character of the area. The Powderhall site is the epicentre of this shift, with the former waste transfer station and bowling green set to host 200 new residences. These future residents will move in with a desperate need for “third spaces” to socialise and connect. DelishYoss is already that space, yet it is being forced to struggle through the birth of the new neighbourhood it is destined to serve.
The spread of coffee culture is deeply entwined with the friction-filled changes of urban life. However, Yossi is no “Johnny-come-lately” capitalising on a neighbourhood that has already changed. He has been a witness and a participant through the lean times; the closure of the waste centre, the loss of the allotments, and the quiet of the pandemic.
DelishYoss is a small but telling example of what we lose in the urban planning process if we aren’t careful. Whether this kiosk survives the coming two years will be a measure of how Edinburgh values its informal social infrastructure. At this crossroads of paths and policies, the future of a single police-box café becomes a test of whether the city can grow without erasing the people and places that gave it character in the first place.
DelishYoss 163 Broughton Road, Edinburgh, EH7 4LG
