18/07/2026
After nearly five incredible years, we've made the extremely difficult decision to close Smokin' Griddle Cardiff, with our final day of trading being Sunday 16th August.
We could easily write a post talking about rising costs, increasing taxes, utility bills, food inflation and all the other challenges facing hospitality right now. Those things are very real, and they certainly haven't made life any easier.
But if we're being completely honest, that's not the real reason.
The truth is that our lives have changed. We now live in Swansea, our families have grown, and over the last couple of years we've simply not been able to give our Cardiff restaurant the time, care and attention it deserves.
We've always believed that independent restaurants thrive when they're led by passionate owner-operators who are there day in, day out. In our opinion, that's exactly what this restaurant now needs. At its best, this has been a fantastic shop, with an amazing team, loyal customers and some incredible trading periods. We know it still has huge potential in the right hands.
That's why we're actively looking for someone to take it on. It's a fully fitted restaurant in a fantastic location, ready for someone with the drive and ambition to make it their own and take it to the next level.
Until then, we're not finished yet. We'll be serving burgers until Sunday 16th August, and we'd love to see as many of you as possible before we close the doors.
Finally, thank you. Whether you've supported us once or hundreds of times over the last five years, you've helped build something we're incredibly proud of. We've made lifelong friendships, employed some amazing people and created memories that we'll never forget.
Smokin' Griddle isn't going anywhere. Our Swansea restaurant, Romford restaurant and events business continue as normal, and we're excited for the future.
Thank you, Cardiff. β€οΈ
George & Will
PS.
If any of my Cardiff catering buddies are actively looking for staff, we have a few guys that are absolutely fantastic and would welcome the opportunity to speak to you, drop us a DM.