The 240-seater, outdoor, covered, eating area will welcome diners to enjoy food from a wide selection of city restaurants in front of one of Cardiff's most picturesque views - its beautiful castle.

The Castle Quarter Café -which is built directly on Castle Street -is part of a wider range of measures being put in place to increase useable, outdoor space for the hospitality sector which is trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The new hospitality area will allow businesses - which could struggle to operate profitably indoors because of the two metre distance regulations in Wales - to trade in a safe, socially-distanced outdoor setting. Visitors will be able to order food and drinks for delivery from a wide selection of restaurants and cafes using a QR code on site or by typing the URL address Cardiff-castle.yoello.com into their smartphone and following the instructions.

The new outdoor space will open from 10am-10pm seven days a week with last orders at 8.30pm.

Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "We wanted to create an attractive space which residents and visitors will love to use and one which can help local hospitality businesses get up and running again. We want as many people as possible to enjoy the new space which will give customers a stunning view of our iconic castle in the heart of the city centre. We hope it plays a major part in helping businesses in Cardiff survive the fallout from the pandemic."

How it will work:

Open: 7 Days a week

Times: 10am to 10pm (last orders 8:30pm)

Dwell time: up to two hours

Capacity: 240 covers, order food from restaurants and cafes across the city centre

Location: Castle Street

1.     There are no advance bookings, so whenever you are ready grab your friends or family and head to Castle Street (maximum seating on a table is six). There are 240 covers arranged in tables for four or six, but if you want to come in on your own or as a couple just grab one of the tables for four.

2.     You will see two separate dining areas, but they operate the same. Just pick which one you like - after all, you can sit there for up to two hours so you might as well get comfy!

3.     At busy times you may need to queue but when it's your turn, the host will direct you and your party to one of the empty tables. The facilities are wheelchair and pushchair friendly. The area is flat and chairs can be removed from tables to accommodate wheelchairs and pushchairs. (please note, there are no highchairs available).

4.     Take a seat, and rest assured that the café has been designed with safety and social distancing in mind and our large patio umbrellas will protect you from too much sunshine or the occasional shower. For environmental and energy supply reasons there are no heaters on site. If it's a colder day why not bring a shawl or a blanket to relax with? We are unable to provide them due to risk of contamination.

5.     Hand sanitizer will be provided too and cleaning staff will be permanently based on site to keep the area clean and clear of packaging, used plates etc, although customers will be asked to take their waste to the recycling point on the way out. 

6.     Customer toilets are located in the clock tower car park and include a disabled toilet and baby change facilities.

7.     We know you are expected to stay two metres away from friends and family outside of your "bubble", so tables have separate chairs. You are responsible for your own social distancing with friends outside your ‘bubble' in accordance with your group make up.

8.     To start your order, find the QR code sign on your table. Open your smartphone camera and scan the code - alternatively type cardiff-castle.yoello.com into your web browser and you can make your order that way.  

9.     Castle Quarter Cafe will be participating in Track and Trace. A Track and Trace button will appear when you use the URL Cardiff-castle.yoello.com or scan the table QR to access Yoello. Customers will need to click on that and fill out the short form before they make their first order. This will enable us to contact you and your group about any positive COVID-19 results which may affect you. 

10.  Here's the fun bit! With plenty of the city's favourite eateries involved, you will be spoilt for choice - so whatever tickles your taste buds, take your time to browse the different venues and menus on your screen.

11.  Once you have chosen what menu you would like to order from, please take note of the wait time, and pay with a credit/debit card once you are happy. Though don't forget, if members of your party order from different businesses the orders will be processed separately and may arrive at different times.

12.  Sit back and relax until your food and drinks are delivered directly to your table. Everything you need will arrive with your order. All boxes, drinkware and cutlery will be compostable, so could be wooden or starch based.

13.  There is no minimum spend unless you want to order alcohol. If you do want alcohol you will need to spend at least £10 on food. So if you just fancy a coffee grab a seat and go ahead, but remember, the area is designed to try and help businesses make enough money to survive the fallout around COVID-19 - so spend a bit more if you can afford to and feel good about helping your favourite restaurant through the pandemic.

14.  Once you have finished, or your two hours is up, simply gather up your rubbish and place it in the recycling bins on your way out.

Top Tips!

1.     As you have a two-hour timeslot, it's recommended that you order all food and drinks at the beginning in case you run out of time later on - and if you would like to order alcoholic drinks your party will need to make a £10 minimum food order and they will be operating a ‘Challenge 25' policy.

2.     The wait time for orders will be displayed by the app and some may have longer times than others, so if you are in a hurry try to choose a restaurant which can serve you in the time that suits you.

3.     Ordering meals from different menus can be great if your party has varied tastes, but if you order and pay separately, they will arrive at different times. So why not order from the same place, and pay in one transaction? That way you can all eat together.

4.     We hope you have a great visit, but if there are any problems with your food please refer complaints back to the restaurant that you ordered from. Restaurant contact details will be provided via the Yoello App so if you wish to discuss anything or make a complaint they should be referred to the responsible restaurant.

These are the restaurants and cafes currently signed up to Yoello but more are being added all the time

Wallys

Dusty Knuckle

Bwyta Bwyd Bombai (3B's Café)

Marco Pierre White

Fab Burgers

Grazing Shed

Zero degrees

Wok to Walk

Park Plaza Hotel

About Yoello

Founded in 2017 - and a recently announced finalist for the Wales Start Up Awards - Yoello is an FCA authorised mobile payment platform that uses open banking to cut out the middlemen and connect merchants and customers' banks directly. Currently focused on the hospitality sector, Yoello offers a simple, affordable, and secure way to help any venue manage mobile orders and payments.

Yoello entirely removes the need for staff contact, physical menus, or queuing - essential for adhering to social distancing. Customers don't even need to download an app, they simply scan a QR code to bring up the menu, click to order, then make their secure mobile payment. They can even add tips and leave reviews for the business.

With two thirds of consumers saying they're open to trying new contactless methods^[[1]], and over 60% preferring to avoid touching a card reader pad when making purchases^[[2]]- Yoello's tried and tested technology couldn't come at a time of greater need for the hospitality sector. Yoello also provides a free ‘test and trace' platform that can also help operators in a way that's data compliant.

The Cardiff-based firm has been working closely with local authorities and Business Improvement Districts since the start of lockdown to help businesses re-open and save thousands of pounds in the process.

To find out more about Yoello and how it can help pubs and restaurants reopen safely, visitwww.yoello.com