News / Cafes
Burra to open a third cafe
One of Bristol’s favourite brunch spots is ready to open its third cafe.
Burra opened its first site in Redland in 2021.
After a successful second branch on North Street, the team behind the business are ready to take on what is currently the site of Bar Chocolat in Clifton Village.
is needed now More than ever
Talking about the soon-to-open cafe, Burra co-founder and Bristol Bears first team player Jake Heenan said: “We’re quite proud of what we do and the way we do it. We’re not looking to deviate.
“So it’ll be the same Burra, the same faces, the same menu, the same type of service – just another location.
“It’s another site, but it’s still us. We will keep doing what we do, but doing it better and that’s what is exciting.”
Bar Chocolat opened on The Mall in Clifton Village in 2000 – photo: Martin Booth
Bar Chocolat is opening for the last time on January 31, with Jake and the team than having a month to transform 19 The Mall into the new Burra, which they hope to open on March 1 with more inside seating than the current set-up.
The menu at Burra is the brainchild of head chef Toru Yanada, who has previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants.
For both Toru and Jake, the heart of Burra – which briefly also had a cafe on Gloucester Road – is its people.
Even though expansion is on the cards, Jake emphasised that they would rather focus on “growing up rather than growing out”.
Burra’s cafe on North Street has been incredibly well received – photo: Betty Woolerton
“My thoughts on it is that what makes Burra special is the people, the community and the way we can really get into the weeds and we can get in with people and work on really small things like how do we greet customers when they walk through the door,” said Jake.
“I worry that if we expand too big and too far, we will stretch our people.
“Toru is working on three sites in Bristol for quality control, training and attention to detail and if he has to go to Bath, Cardiff, etc, I worry that we’ll lose the quality because everything for us is around quality.
“The only thing that matters is that we do a really, really good job. So I’m not in a hurry to expand.”
New Zealand-born Jake co-founded Burra with his former Bristol Bears teammate Luke Morahan and Bears chief operating officer Tom Tainton.
Two other Bears players, Harry Thacker and Jake Woolmore, have recently opened another business, Sivo Wellness, based at The Stables at Leigh Court.
A more detailed conversation with Jake Heenan and Toru Yanada will be published in the next Bristol24/7 magazine, with Toru also a panellist in the upcoming EatDrink24/7 guide
Main photo: Martin Booth
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