An old, vacant betting shop in a Cardiff suburb has been transformed into a dog-friendly café. Coffi Lab, which already has two other premises in Cardiff, has opened up its most recent site in the Rhiwbina area of the city.
Owned by Cardiff-born James Shapland, who headed up Coffee #1 before it was sold to SA Brain & Co, the coffee chain has started to open up sites across the city. The first Cardiff site opened on Llandaff's High Street in November last year, followed by a Whitchurch site earlier this year.
The Rhiwbina branch of Coffi Lab, on Heol-y-Deri, is the most recent branch to be set up in Cardiff, and will open its doors on June 25. The coffee shop takes its name from the Welsh word for coffee and and Lab a reference to Labradors and its chosen charity, Guide Dogs UK.
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The new branch has taken over the site of a vacant betting shop, transforming the unit into a modern coffee shop, complete with fairy lights, black boarding, and outside seating. Coffi Lab was inspired by James' two Fox-Red Labradors, Brynmor and Dylan and he runs the business alongside his partner Hannah Gillard who works as Managing Director.
Coffi Lab sponsors guide dogs in memory of family and friends through a partnership with Guide Dogs UK. Its first sponsored Guide Dog for their Monmouth store is Tony, a Labrador cross Golden Retriever pup born in September and named in memory of James’ father Tony Shapland.
James has previously said that he hopes to open the coffee shop in "several locations in Cardiff," and a planning application has been approved for 32-34 Station Road in Llanishen to be turned into another chain of the popular café.
