Bar News

They're essentially a slightly more upmarket Lloyd's...or varsity. Nothing special. But where are they opening?

Puts me in mind of Buffalo.

I thought buffalo was alright, certainly more than a step up from lloyds

Yeah Buffalo - particularly a few years ago - was pretty good. Have the new owners(?) done anything with it since it went into administration? Lick of paint?

News on the old Habitat store; there is a premises license application on display for the top floor unit. The applicant is Burger and Lobster, who have a couple of places in London.

I wasn't sure if this should be bar news or somewhere else, but as their license is til midnight, here seems as good a place as any!

That's an impressive opening for Cardiff, a very trendy London restaurant whose next opening is in New York. Can't wait to try it out when I'm home.

Ehaaaaaat?!!! That's in Kensington and soho.....

Having looked at the (very sparse!) website for Burger and Lobster, it appears they operate a franchise model.

A couple of local food blogs make mention of the face that there was a Burger and Lobster / Celtic Manor collaboration for a pop up restaurant in Pontcanna in 2012.

Perhaps the proposed permanent home at 9-11 Hayes is a franchise operated by the Celtic Manor?

The UK and US restaurants are company owned according to their website. It says they'll consider franchises outside of these 2 countries.

The fact that Five Guys, Burger and Lobster and Wahaca have all chosen to open their first non London/SE England operations in Cardiff has to be a good thing. They're the sort of businesses that would have passed us over not so long ago. Suggests there's now a market for slightly higher market chains.

Actually Five Guys have already opened up outlets outside of the South East of England. They'll also be opening up outlets in Bristol and Glasgow, more or less simultaneously, with the Cardiff branch. Looks a bit overrated imo.

Burger and lobster is the real coup, upmarket with very few outlets and a unique concept (for Cardiff anyway).

They're the sort of businesses that would have passed us over not so long ago. Suggests there's now a market for slightly higher market chains.

I will say though that, there's a bit of a deficiency as far as a presence of local, home grown chains (big or small), or independent equivalents are concerned. It'd be nice to see that develop more. In fact it would very beneficial for Cardiff to produce more local chains, especially if they were to expand into other towns and cities elsewhere in The UK, assuming they would have their headquarters in Wales. Bristol has been very successful at this, with a long legacy of managing to grow and accommodate both local and non local, chain and independent businesses alike; The loungers group, Boston Tea Party, Las Iguanas (plus Turtle Bay), ZaZa Bazaar, Grillstock etc all began in the city and have all expanded into other parts of the country to varying degrees.

Cardiff does have a few decent contenders; Barker Coffee could be Cardiff's (and Wales') version of Boston Tea Party, and La Bodega could also definitely go places, to name just two local places.

Actually Five Guys have already opened up outlets outside of the South East of England. They'll also be opening up outlets in Bristol and Glasgow, more or less simultaneously, with the Cardiff branch. Looks a bit overrated imo.

Burger and lobster is the real coup, upmarket with very few outlets and a unique concept (for Cardiff anyway).

They're the sort of businesses that would have passed us over not so long ago. Suggests there's now a market for slightly higher market chains.

I will say though that, there's a bit of a deficiency as far as a presence of local, home grown chains (big or small), or independent equivalents are concerned. It'd be nice to see that develop more. In fact it would very beneficial for Cardiff to produce more local chains, especially if they were to expand into other towns and cities elsewhere in The UK, assuming they would have their headquarters in Wales. Bristol has been very successful at this, with a long legacy of managing to grow and accommodate both local and non local, chain and independent businesses alike; The loungers group, Boston Tea Party, Las Iguanas (plus Turtle Bay), ZaZa Bazaar, Grillstock etc all began in the city and have all expanded into other parts of the country to varying degrees.

Cardiff does have a few decent contenders; Barker Coffee could be Cardiff's (and Wales') version of Boston Tea Party, and La Bodega could also definitely go places, to name just two local places.

Agreed, it's the general problem with the Welsh economy isn't it, not enough companies that are home grown. In the food/drinks market Brains (including Coffee #1) are probably the most successful we have.