It is the third location that the business has opened since it started out years ago
Crafty Smuggler has opened up in Llansamlet, Swansea(Image: Indigo Jones)
A popular coffee shop which first began inside an old derelict garage has just opened another location in the latest chapter of its ever growing success story.
Crafty Smuggler officially opened a new location at unit fifteen in St David’s Road, Llansamlet on Monday, October 5. It is the businesses’ third in Swansea, following on from its locations at Western Street in Sandfields and Uplands Crescent.
The new location will act primarily as a takeaway, but there is seating inside and undercover tables outside, with parking facilities also available for customers. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here
Bam Day, who is the owner of the business, said: “I needed a large site for our wholesale coffee roastery production. We recently upgraded the coffee roaster to a much bigger scale. It just made sense to sell a few coffees from the same site, because we had the square footage of the building.
“There’s nothing really like it on that end of Swansea in terms of speciality coffee. There’s a fantastic shop in Morriston called Coffee Koub which is great, but in terms of the actual enterprise zone, I found there was a lot of chains – your Starbucks, your Tim Hortons, your Costa, and I just find them extremely expensive.
“To bring something family-run and local, I thought would hopefully go down well. We’ve had really good feedback and everyone is really pleased. I wasn’t quite aware how much of a hub Llansamlet is. There is so many gyms, car garages, offices, cash and carry wholesalers, and massive brands like Au Vodka. I think it’s going to be busier than I expected, which is lovely, but also going to take some getting used to. A bit of recruitment will be needed!”
In 2023, we reported how Crafty Smuggler’s first venue, at Western Street, was renovated from a derelict building which had previously been used for storage.
It was turned into a bright and inviting dog-friendly coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating, serving up coffee from different parts of the world as well as sweet treats and paninis. It has gone from strength to strength and has built up a group of loyal returning customers.
Reflecting on the success of the business, Mr Day said: “I feel extremely lucky we’ve been able to build such a strong community which supports us on a daily basis and also follows us around. We get the same faces showing up on a daily basis and showing us support, so it really does mean the world. I’m a Mumbles boy myself, so it is very special, I feel very lucky, and I don’t take it for granted at all.
“What started off as just a one-man band and a small family business has really grown. I’m very, very lucky, I’ve got great staff and staff that have worked for me since pretty much day one, and without them I don’t think we’d be where we are now. Without it sounding too cliche, Crafty Smuggler coffee is about the people just as much it is about the coffee.”
Craft Smuggler in Llansamlet will be open Monday to Friday from 7am until 2pm.
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