A bookmakers on one of Cardiff's busiest streets is set to be transformed into a coffee shop. The Paddy Power shop on St Mary Street has closed and will be taken over by a new tenant nine years after opening in the city centre unit.
The new coffee house will join several others on the street, with Corner Coffee, Coffee Barker, Coffee Heaven and Starbucks all nearby. Get the latest news from across Cardiff sent straight to your inbox for free by signing up to our newsletter.
A planning application has been submitted to Cardiff council to change the use of the ground and basement floors of the Grade II listed building, which is at the entrance to Cardiff Market, from a betting shop to use as a restaurant, bar or cafe. The application adds that the developer "has a tenant for the unit to operate it as a coffee shop".
The name of this tenant, however, has not yet been made public. The upper floors of the building will continue to be used as office space, while opening hours of between 6am and 10pm have been put forward for the coffee shop.
The historic six-floor building was built in 1886 and provides around 21,000 square feet of mixed accommodation. It was sold to London-based investor The Thackeray Estate last year for an undisclosed sum, having been marketed for £1.75m.
It is the latest in a series of developments on the street, with 'social darts' venue Flight Club, also owned by Thackery, arcade bar NQ64 and Gareth Bale's mini golf bar Par 59 all opening there last year. The nearby Howells building, bought by Thackery last year, is set to be transformed as part of £100m redevelopment plans which will see a roof terrace built and House of Fraser replaced with bars, restaurants and even a hotel.
Paddy Power is not the only bookies to close on St Mary Street in recent months, with the former William Hill shop being converted into a new co-working space and aparthotel. Bristol-based Higgihaus Ltd, an investment company specialising in "reimagining and refurbishing" empty buildings and turning them into shared homes, serviced accommodation and boutique hotels, had planning permission granted by the council in June last year.
The branch of Coral next door to The Prince of Wales pub has also closed ahead of being merged with the Wetherspoons venue, with those plans also seeing a roof garden built on top of the building. Following the closure of Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Betfred are the only betting shops still open on the busy street.
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