Coffee business aims to grow its city centre food empire

CARDIFF coffee venture Barker looks set to expand once again with the launch of a venue called Gin and Juice.

A company owned by Charlotte and Steve Barker, the couple behind the Castle Arcade cafe and neighbouring Barker Gelato, now want to take over another empty set of units in the same arcade.

Clive Ranger jewellers in Castle Arcade has been empty since the shop closed.

Now an application will go to councillors for a licence for it to be allowed to open as a coffee shop and bar in the evenings.

Mr Barker said the venue would serve “raw pressed juice” with “protein-rich nutritious salad” during the days before transforming into a “fully-fledged classy bar” in the evenings.

“A lot of love is going into the arcades right now to recreate the Victorian feel,” he said.

“It’s the soul of the city and the old town. It’s very exciting, the area is up and coming.”

Barker’s first coffee venture opened in 2010 and three years later a clothes shop which had been open in the arcade for 40 years was closed for the cafe to expand.

Next came Barker Tea in High Street Arcade and then Barker Gelato as an extension to the Castle Arcade shop.

The new premises would be a juice bar which offers coffee and juices during the day. At night it would be a cocktail bar and also serve complimentary tapas or small plates of food.

If granted permission, the venue would be the latest coffee shop-style premises to open in the same area.

The arcade is already home to the hugely popular Madame Fromage and just a few doors down is a Welsh-themed tea room.

The licensing application to Cardiff council says the owners want to play live music between 6pm and 11pm from Monday to Saturday and between 6pm and 10pm on Sundays.

Recorded music would be played between 8am and 2am between Monday and Saturday and between 10am and 11pm on Sundays.

Alcohol would be able to be served between 10am and 2am.

Concerns have been raised by police because the premises is in the city centre, which has been designated as an area where businesses have to prove they will not breach licensing rules due to a higher number of incidents there.

A meeting of Cardiff council’s licensing sub-committee will be held on Friday, July 21.