Rekom invests £1.2m in Cardiff Proud Mary pub

Work is under way on the former Yard Bar in Cardiff’s St Mary’s Street, which will see it become the UK’s first Proud Mary pub.

The £1.2m investment by bar and club operator Rekom, which also chose Cardiff as the first UK location for its Heidi’s Bier Bar, will create up to 50 jobs. The pub is due to open at the end of October.

The Proud Mary pub will be a relaxed party pub with the atmosphere of a German beer hall. It will operate over two floors with a 950 capacity.

Rekom’s regional director Graeme Da Silva said: “We are delighted to continue investing in Cardiff, which is such a vibrant and exciting city. Heidi’s has exceeded all expectations and PRYZM continues to be one of our most successful clubs, so we are confident Proud Mary will prove to be a similar hit.”

He added: “We will be working 24/7 to open in time for when Wales takes on New Zealand – hopefully the result will give us double cause for celebration!”

The venue will serve a range of drinks and beer, including two draught ales from Cardiff brewery Tiny Rebel. Food will include traditional bar snacks and a range of pizzas and burgers. Live sporting events, including football and rugby, will be shown on a dozen TV screens.

Local bands will be given a platform to perform, with live music a feature on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as music bingo and quiz nights during the week.

There are six Proud Mary Pubs in Denmark, Finland and Norway, with Cardiff to be the first in the UK and the former Idols club, in Swansea's Wind Street, to be the second, due to open in early 2023.

Rekom operates more than 200 bars, pubs and clubs internationally and 48 in the UK. Other venues in Wales include Steinbeck & Shaw in Cardiff and Atik Wrexham and Fiction Swansea. The Proud Mary pub will also serve as Rekom’s first cluster office, in addition to its main base in Milton Keynes, to support local teams.