A street in a Cardiff suburb, which is only around 300 metres long, is set to be home to three new cafe ventures.
Pontcanna Street, in Pontcanna, has three planning applications lodged with the council for new venues. One is from the well-known chef Tom Simmons who has a restaurant a few doors down from his proposed new venture.
The street in the leafy suburb, not far from the city centre, is already home to the restaurant’s Milkwood, The Smokehouse, and the cafe Brava, at one end, and Al Ponte Deli and Mr Simmons’ restaurant Thomas by Tom Simmons at the other end.
Mr Simmons, along with his partner Lois, are to convert an old shop unit at the same end of the street as his restaurant into a cafe to cater for those looking for a less substantial meal that a restaurant offers.
"The new place will offer open sandwiches, soups, stews, as well as excellent breads, toasties, and quiches,” he said.
The plan is the new cafe will have seating for around 16 customers. And, there will be a large marble counter showcasing the pastries, and the kitchen will on show behind a glass screen.
No 15 Pontcanna Street, which sits between Al Ponte and The Frame Shop, has been empty for more than two decades and its last use was a vacuum cleaner repair shop.
"We are keen to make sure the residents will be happy with the new venue, and it will be great to bring life back to the place,” he said.
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The planning application for the new venture says that it will have the provision of a restaurant facility with shopfront bakery/deli. It adds the proposed offering of daytime and/or evening training sessions associated with the bakery or other culinary classes.
Mr Simmons said that the focus will not initially be on cooking or baking classes, but as the layout of the venue lends itself to it being used in that way they wanted to include it in the planning application now rather than having to make a new application somewhere down the line.
If all goes to plan the new venue will open in June.
It is coming up to the first year anniversary of the opening of Thomas by Tom Simmons, and while it has obviously been a difficult year Mr Simmons says he has loved being back in Cardiff.
At the other end of the street, nearest Cathedral Road, No. 79, is to become a cafe.
It is understood that the owner of the site, which was the former home of Viva Organic that closed last week, is in the process of leasing the site and it will operate as a cafe.
A spokesperson for the owners of 79 Pontcanna Street stated: " We are in advanced discussions with a potential occupier but their occupation will be subject to securing the appropriate planning consent."
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A few doors along, at No. 73 there is a planning application to turn the unit into a yoga studio and cafe.
The unit, formerly Chameleon Interior Design, will, if planning is approved, become the Love Live Light Healing Hub.
The planning application says the venue will provide a facility for yoga and meditation classes with a daytime cafe. It will also sell clothing, equipment, and products.
The website for the company says the new venue will off "an uplifting and welcoming environment offering a variety of alternative holistic, Ayurvedic and scientifically backed healing therapies, which are widely proven to be beneficial and used by millions of people in other countries across the world".
The site No 85 Pontcanna Street, formerly the site of Fish at 85, has been let.