The landmark diner in Llandaff North has closed after decades on the high street
THE owner of Beppy’s Cafe in Llandaff North has closed the iconic traditional breakfast spot after 26 years… partly to spend more time with his grandchildren.
Chris Worsey, 66, retired in December and the Station Road cafe is now under new ownership and due to re-open soon.
“It was my time. I’m 66,” Mr Worsey said.
The Llandaff North resident bought the business from the original owners in 1996, but he still does not know why the cafe was called Beppy’s.
“I was there for 26 years and it was Beppy’s well before that as well. So, I don’t really know who Beppy was,” he said.
Most of Mr Worsey’s customers were regulars so the chef remembers the breakfast orders of many customers.
“I’ve met a lot of nice people over the years and I can walk down the street now and not necessarily know names, but I can say ‘he used to have a brunch with no baked beans’ and ‘he’ll have extra hash browns’,” said Mr Worsey.
“We had a range of customers from headmasters to doctors to workmen to soldiers. A wide cross section of customers.
“There used to be on Saturday morning a plumbers convention with a couple of electricians, a couple of mechanics. There’d be about six to eight people, all from different jobs. They’d all chat away. It would be a little breakfast club.”
Mr Worsey shared a friendship with many of his customers and the cafe had a wall of customer photos that he has taken away to put in a scrapbook.
However, when it was time to close the cafe, he decided to keep his retirement quiet.
“People were sad, but I tried to keep it low key. I didn’t advertise the fact much to everybody. It was just the chosen few that I told ‘I’m going at Christmas’,” he said.
“I have got a few numbers I keep in contact with and the ladies that used to work for me, I’m still in touch with those.”
Mr Worsey always had two members of staff helping him run the business. He had 12 women work for him over the 26 years and he prides himself on the low staff turnover.
The 66-year-old has worked in catering all his life and bought the cafe after being made redundant from his job as a chef.
“I was fed up of working for the man. I thought it was time to do something different for myself.
“There was an advert in the Echo, ‘business for sale in Llandaff North’, and I thought ‘oh wow, that’s for me’,” said Mr Worsey.
Mr Worsey believes that tradition and consistency drew people back to the cafe.
He said: “It probably didn’t change over the years. I’m in a bit of a time warp.
“Really good value for money was the main thing and consistency. The breakfasts were consistent over the years.
“You go for pub food and you can have a lovely meal in a pub. You can go next week, order the same meal and it’ll be different. But I’d like to think that it was consistent over my little reign.”
The cafe is now under new ownership and Mr Worsey is looking forward to seeing it reopen.
“I’ll be interested to see what he does, the new chap. Local fella, youngster, keen. I wish him well,” he said.
- Do you know the original Beppy? Get in touch with The Cardiffian to tell us more
