Chapter Arts Centre is delighted to be extending its brand across Cardiff through the opening of Caffi Sïo – a Chapter Culture Café in Cardiff Bay.
As one of Wales’ leading arts venues, Chapter is as famous for its café as it is for its culture. The new café bar in the Craft in the Bay building will bring the very best of its food and drink offer in a unique atmosphere to a wider audience. As well as quality local produce, the finest coffee and food to satisfy all palates, Caffi Sïo will bring independent, Welsh, artisan excellence to the heart of Cardiff Bay as well as a flavour of its unique artistic programme.
Andy Eagle, Director of Chapter said, “This exciting new venture away from our Canton base is intended to be the first, not the last as the Chapter charity looks to creatively self-generate income at a time of reducing public investment through expanding its quality food and beverage offering. All the profits from the venture will be reinvested back into the diverse arts programme and its support for artist development and opportunity. We hope the public in the bay will love the offering but also love the fact their purchases are directly going to support the arts, artists and a thriving Cardiff scene.”
‘Sïo’, a Welsh translation for ‘buzzing like a bee’ is a fitting name for the new venue. Audiences, artists and the 800,000 strong annual visitors are always commenting on the life around the building where day or night, breakfast or last orders the atmosphere simply buzzes. Cultural or culinary, Chapter thrives on its energy, is famous for its food and drink and so very proud of its Welsh roots.
Although the Bay is a renowned foodie hotspot, what will set Caffi Sïo apart from its competitors is the fact that it will be the only independently-owned dining experience amongst all the chain restaurants on offer. It will also offer a ‘side order of culture’ stocking leading publications in the arts including photography, architecture, contemporary art and more and presenting small scale live performances.
Catering for around 40 diners, the venue will remain faithful to Chapter’s roots as an artisan café in a contemporary environment as well as offering services in external catering and take away food and drink. Culture vultures will be able to enjoy some of Chapter’s most iconic brunch and lunch dishes and alongside the a-la-carte offerings there will be a ‘quick lunch’ menu, perfect for those working in Bay and on a tight lunch-time schedule.
The new venue will operate from the Craft in the Bay building located at the south end of Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff Bay. The Bay is fast becoming a cultural hotspot – a powerhouse for the media and creative industries, with two of Wales’ leading arts organisations located within a stone’s throw of each other.
Laurentiu Florea, Director of Food and Beverages at Chapter and the driving force behind Sïo, said, “Caffi Sïo will be a place where people can socialise, work and create in a comfortable, relaxing and inclusive environment while enjoying the best coffee, fresh food and Welsh treats in Cardiff. Sïo is aiming to complement the existing operation, both as a cultural venue as well as a showcase for Welsh food and drink craft and hospitality. Whether you visit us for just a drink, breakfast, brunch, lunch or before a show at the Millennium Centre, we will be a much more credible alternative to the plethora of branded coffee shops and restaurants in Cardiff and you should expect a friendly service and artisan foods of consistently high quality; here everything is made, not manufactured”.
Sïo’s profits will support delivering Chapter Arts Centre’s outstanding contemporary Arts and Education programme. |
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