Black Sheep Coffee will be replacing Maycheelin Asian Supermarket on Forrest Road with its 12th Edinburgh coffee shop.
While the opening of the new branch is still a long way away, with the council only approving plans in late February 2026, some expressed concerns over yet another chain taking up valuable real estate in Edinburgh.
One student living in the area said: “I actually go to Maycheelin all the time to pick up food I can’t get at other stores. Can’t remember the last time I had to go to Black Sheep for something I couldn’t get at any other cafe.”
Another student expressed that while rotating businesses was probably a good idea, “we probably also don’t need another Black Sheep.”
This comes after the company opened its 11th location in Bruntsfield on 11 December 2025, replacing a former Royal Bank of Scotland. This new branch was heavily criticised by locals and small business owners in the area, who were worried about competition and existing community support networks.
The new coffee shop will be only an 11 minute walk from the North Bridge branch and 13 minutes away from the Lothian Road branch, featuring a two-floor design — the ground floor for retail and the basement for storage and staff rooms.
Image by Matilde Impavido for The Student.