A stylish new bowling alley and gaming venue is set to open on one of Cardiff's busiest shopping streets later this year. Roxy Lanes will take over the former DW Sports unit on Queen Street after a planning application was approved by Cardiff council.
As well as bowling, the venue will "bring the playground to the bar" with a variety of games including American pool and beer pong while also sampling a wide-ranging cocktail menu, pizzas and hot dogs. Get the latest What's On news from across Cardiff sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our free newsletter.
Roxy Lanes currently has seven sites across the UK in Leeds, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool and Sheffield. The Queen Street venue will be its first in Wales.
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An application to erect new signage outside the vacant unit has been submitted to the council. Permission for the new venue was granted last month, nearly 18 months after DW Sports collapsed into administration.
The bowling alley is set to remain open from 10am to 1.30am from Sunday to Wednesday and 10am to 3.30am from Thursday to Saturday. The exact opening date for the venue is currently unknown.
Visitors to Roxy Lanes can expect a cocktail menu offering classics including Long Island ice teas and Pina Coladas as well as their signature cocktails. These include the Roxy Spritz, made up of Amaretto, prosecco, lemon, and grenadine, and the Perfect Game, which includes Beefeater pink gin, limoncello, and fresh strawberries. Their food menu features hand-rolled Italian pizzas and 'Roxy dogs', which are served with fries and BBQ seasoning.
A range of other activities will be on offer to those who don't enjoy bowling as much as others. Other venues across the UK offer pool, shuffleboard, beer pong and duck pin bowling, as well as a batting cage, ice-free curling and karaoke.
The first Roxy Lanes bowling alley opened in Leeds in 2014, with the business soon expanding across the UK. It opened new venues in Sheffield and Bristol in 2022, while it also has plans to open its first Scottish alley in Edinburgh.
The change of use for the Queen Street unit has been criticised, however, with local councillors expressing concern over the prospect of a licensed premises being set up in the busy shopping district. Cardiff Council ward member for Cathays, Councillor Norma Mackie, said the city is "at risk of losing many visitors and shoppers" if it continues to allow more shops to become licensed premises, with fears that "another St Mary Street" could be created.
After a licensing application was submitted to the council, she added: "Shoppers are likely to be exposed to more intoxicated people with the anti-social behaviour that brings, putting off more people and especially families from coming to Queen Street and creating more work for the police and other services.
"Cardiff now has sufficient licensed activity outlets, with a number of new venues being allowed to open over the last two years, this should stop and time should be given to try and encourage more shopping outlets to take over premises that are closing. We do not want to create another St Mary Street, with all the antisocial behaviour it brings."
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