Key Points
- A newly independent hospitality venue called Stage & Stem is coming up at the site that was previously home to Sticky Fingers Street Food on Richmond Road in Cardiff.
- The date of opening for the new venue will be on Friday, 4th September.
- The unit will be functioning as a café and bistro during the daytime and then convert itself into a performance venue by the night.
- The unit has remained vacant since the shutting down of Sticky Fingers Street Food in December 2025.
- The new business model is thus introduced here for the very first time.
Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) August 2026 – A substantial commercial property in the heart of Cardiff is set to welcome customers once again as new independent operators prepare to open Stage & Stem on Richmond Road. As reported by local media outlets, the sizeable unit—previously occupied by the popular Sticky Fingers street food market—will officially launch under its new identity on Friday, 4th September. The dual-concept business is scheduled to function as a daytime café and bistro before shifting its operational focus to host live music and artistic performances during the evening hours.
What are the full operational plans for the new Stage & Stem venue on Richmond Road?
As detailed by reporting from local media platforms covering Cardiff’s food and drink sector, Stage & Stem has been designed to maximize the use of the large space throughout the day and into the night. During morning and afternoon hours, the establishment will serve as a casual café and bistro, catering to residents, local workers, and student populations in the surrounding area. As evening approaches, the layout will transition to accommodate live performance events, creating a platform for artists and performers within the community.
The opening marks the first full-time occupation of the premises since the previous tenant ceased trading. The former street food hall had established a reputation for hosting multiple independent food traders under a shared roof, but the site will now be run under the singular vision of Stage & Stem.
Background: What led to the closure of Sticky Fingers Street Food?
The reopening of the Richmond Road site follows a period of vacancy lasting several months. Sticky Fingers Street Food originally operated as a prominent culinary hub in Cardiff, bringing together various local vendors and craft beer selections. However, as reported by journalism tracking hospitality trends in the city, Sticky Fingers officially closed its doors on Richmond Road in December 2025.
The closure of Sticky Fingers coincided with broader economic pressures across the Welsh capital’s hospitality industry throughout late 2024 and 2025. Independent venues across Cardiff faced sustained challenges stemming from rising operational costs, increased business rates, higher employer contributions, and changing consumer spending habits. The decision to shutter the street food venue left a significant empty footprint on Richmond Road, which had historically served as a central dining destination between the city centre, Cathays, and Roath.
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Prediction: How will this development affect local residents, students, and Cardiff’s independent venue sector?
The arrival of Stage & Stem on Richmond Road is expected to have a tangible impact on several key groups within the area.
- Local Residents and Students: Situated near major university buildings and residential student quarters, the hybrid bistro-and-performance model offers a versatile social space. The daytime café provision provides a local study and remote-work area, while the evening entertainment schedule delivers accessible culture and social options without requiring travel into the central city core.
- The Creative and Performing Arts Community: With the closure of several grass-roots music and performance venues across Cardiff in recent years, the introduction of a new stage for live performance offers much-needed capacity for local musicians, performers, and creative groups seeking small-to-medium performance spaces.
- The Wider Hospitality Economy on Richmond Road: The re-activation of a large, vacant commercial property acts as a anchor site for the street. Nearby independent shops and food outlets are likely to benefit from increased footfall generated by evening event attendees, potentially restoring commercial momentum to the Richmond Road thoroughfare following the losses experienced during the previous year.
