London-founded coffee brand Grind has opened its first standalone UK travel café at Waterloo station, bringing its craft coffee and cocktail offering to one of the country’s busiest commuter hubs, with more than 170,000 people passing through the station each day.
The new café is located on the mezzanine level opposite Platform 5 and officially opens on 15 December 2025. It will operate daily from 7am to 10pm and offers seating for 35 customers in a modern café-bar setting designed to provide a calmer space away from the station’s busiest thoroughfares.
The site has been launched in partnership with One Retail, the retail specialist arm of Compass Group UK & Ireland. It marks Grind’s first standalone café within a UK railway station, expanding its presence in travel retail beyond existing partnerships with British Airways and Dubai International Airport. Alongside barista-quality coffee, the venue will serve food and cocktails, including Grind’s signature espresso martini, which will be available for £5 throughout December to mark the opening and the festive period.
The Waterloo launch represents a significant step in Grind’s growth strategy, taking the brand beyond its East London origins and into the heart of the UK transport network. Known for its all-day cafés and restaurants offering sustainable craft coffee, fresh food and cocktails, Grind is now targeting commuters and travellers looking for everything from takeaway coffees to sit-down brunch and evening drinks.
David Abrahamovitch, CEO and Founder of Grind, says: “Bringing Grind to one of the UK’s busiest stations marks a major milestone for us-we can’t wait to bring our craft coffee to thousands of commuters at Waterloo. We’re offering travellers a completely new experience: a place where they can grab a great coffee on the go, sit down for brunch, or unwind with cocktails after a long day. It’s our first in a station, and we’re thrilled to make it happen with One Retail.”
With 15 cafés, restaurants and cocktail bars, alongside a fleet of coffee trucks already operating across the UK, the Waterloo opening signals the next phase of Grind’s ambition to reach more customers by bringing its craft coffee offering into high-footfall travel locations.
