THE REALLY SAD NEWS

We have been issued with an eviction notice from our landlords (the owners of the Pontcanna Market) on our site at Lufkin Coffee -Kings Road, as they wish to use the space themselves.

Out of the blue at the end of April, just as we were about to reopen inside, the Landlords gave us 30 days to move out of our inside seating unit. We asked them to let us stay, we tried to negotiate a longer lease on our coffee bar unit in exchange for the seating unit, but they refused. We told them that legally they needed to serve a legal notice on our inside seating, granting us six months instead of 30 days, and they have served a notice on both units.

Back up slightly…

To six years ago when we first moved as a family to Cardiff from California. Passionate about tasty coffee, we decided to open a space of our own to share our passion with others. We felt really lucky to have found the space at Kings Road Yard when we did, and were excited by its potential. Pleased to join Pipes Brewery, Dutchwood Joinery, Kings Road Studios, Red Door Studios and the artists upstairs.

We spent every penny we had installing water, electricity and the rest so that we could run a coffee bar. We built new walls and installed a new floor, and put a new front on the space. We had a small 1kg roasting machine, that we roasted small batches of coffee on, and brewed with just four filter-drippers for the first nine months before finding our first espresso machine.

We have always maintained a deep connection to this space, probably because of what we endured as a family to get it off the ground. As our team has grown and our knowledge and understanding of running an independent coffee roasters has developed, we look back with fond memories to the small and simple beginnings and with gratitude to our landlords for renting the space to us in the first place.

Shocked? So were we.

We have obviously experienced many emotions in the last couple of months, from feeling pretty shocked and devastated to quite baffled. We have always viewed our efforts to serve quality speciality coffee and employ skilled friendly staff as being a benefit to the evolution of Kings Road Yard.

But as an eviction notice has now been served, our future in the yard suddenly gone, we have made the decision to close our site at Kings Road Yard sooner than the time we were given. You may wonder why, and really this is due to the sadness of it all really and not wanting to drag it out. and redirect our energies to what’s ahead.

We want to redirect our energies to what’s ahead.. We are excited about some potential opportunities and will let you know once we can. We won’t be having a leaving party, but instead hope to have an opening party at our new nearby location in due course.

Thank you for your continued support. For now you can find us for coffee at our other two sites:

• The Ol’Rangers Hut in Thompson’s Park, CF5 1FH

• The Bank, Grangetown, CF11 6QS.

Daniel, Frances, and Team Lufkin.