The New World Trade Company (NWTC) is bringing its expanding The Club House brand to Mermaid Quay, Schroder UK Real Estate Fund’s (‘SREF’) popular 150,000 sq ft mixed-use destination on the waterfront in Cardiff Bay.

The new relaxed dining bar/restaurant will be located right in the heart of Mermaid Quay, in a high-profile, 9,000 sq ft two-storey unit – complete with balcony area overlooking Tacoma Square and Cardiff Bay - previously occupied by S.A. Brains’ Salt bar. Recently taken over by Marston’s, S A Brain will continue to trade at Mermaid Quay’s successful The Dock bar and kitchen.

The Club House will be NWTC’s second venture in Cardiff, as it also operates The Botanist in the city centre, and comes at a time when work has just started on a major refurbishment of the public areas at Mermaid Quay.

Fitting out work is due to start soon and it is anticipated that The Club House’s newest location will open in early 2022. The Club House was originally launched in Liverpool in 2016 but grew to a multi-city brand with the opening of Plymouth in May 2021.

Serving up sunshine-inspired cocktails, The Club House current venues offer guests that holiday feeling every day of the year.

Suelen Poyser, Head of Brand for The Club House, said “There’s nothing better in the world than having that first drink on holiday. Feeling the weight lifted off your shoulders, knowing, that you’ve escaped from the everyday and left all the hustle and bustle behind. That’s the feeling we aim to provide on every visit to The Club House.”

The deal to bring The Club House to Mermaid Quay is a key part of SREF’s strategy to reposition and enhance the tenant mix at Mermaid Quay. This has already seen the creation of a five-screen Everyman Cinema (opened 2019), the introduction of new restaurants and cafés – including The Cosy Club (opened 2019), Hubbox (opened 2020) and Apprentice winner Alana Spencer’s By The Sea café (opened May 2021) – as well as aesthetic improvements to the buildings.

The public realm improvement project, which started last week, includes new paving, new lighting, new wayfinding, new seating and street furniture, new planters and new tenant signage. It will see the creation of a stylish new landscaped public space in Tacoma Square, right at the heart of Mermaid Quay overlooking Cardiff Bay - a fantastic location for the centre’s extensive programme of events and entertainment, as well as an area where people can sit and enjoy the waterfront. The works are due to finish in time for Easter 2022.

Future plans include the extension of the car park, together with the introduction of further leisure uses and more new food and beverage brands.

Harry Pickering, SREF’s Head of UK Retail, said:

“Securing The Club House for the old Salt unit is a major step forward in our plans for Mermaid Quay. NWTC is a quality operator and this expanding brand – with its happy, care-free, holiday feel – is perfect for the waterfront location. We are delighted to welcome them to Mermaid Quay.

“This latest letting is just the first of a series of new businesses that we expect to introduce to Mermaid Quay this year, as we bounce back from the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, getting our multi-million-pound repositioning plan for the centre back on track, and enhancing Mermaid Quay’s reputation as one of Wales’ premier leisure destinations.”

Letting agents for Mermaid Quay are Savills and Smith Price RRG.

Natasha Waterfield, Chief Operating Officer, said “Since we opened our first venue in Cardiff in January 2020, our ambition has always been to bring more of our brands to the city. Selecting the right location for a unique brand like The Club House is key, but made so simple when you find like-minded partners such as SREF and Mermaid Quay. We look forward to meeting both our newest team members and welcoming locals from across the region.