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Restaurant companies in Cardiff

917 restaurant companies have a registered office in Cardiff, and 208 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £20,172 in cash and owed £60,168 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Licenced restaurants” (SIC 56101).

The numbers

Restaurant companies in Cardiff compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureCardiffUK
Registered companies91754,142
Formed in 2025 or 2026208 (23%)27%
Being struck off or in liquidation318 (35%)21%
Typical cash at year end£20,172152 accounts£23,201
Typical amount owed at year end£60,168310 accounts£62,010
Typical number of employees6312 accounts6

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

31% of restaurant companies in Cardiff are currently being struck off, against 31% of all companies there. Nationally that rate is higher than 96% of UK industries.

Closures run high here. It is a churn signal, not a survival rate, but it means the common failure points are worth learning before you start.

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical restaurant company in Cardiff holds £20,172 in cash and owes £60,168; that cash figure is lower than 54% of UK industries.

Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.

At least a quarter of these companies owe more than they own

The lowest quarter of restaurant companies in Cardiff report net assets of -£32,180 or less; the median is £1,448 (274 filings).

Many operators are propped up by loans, unpaid bills or money from the owner rather than by profit kept in the business. It is easy to keep going for longer than the numbers justify.

Planning a business like this in Cardiff?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Restaurant in other places

Other businesses in Cardiff

All business benchmarks in Cardiff