Key Points
- New Venue: Ruby Jeans, a successful café chain, which was started back in 2019 at Shirehampton, is now being established at a second location in Redland, Bristol – Chandos Road.
- Previous Occupants: The new venue occupies the space previously occupied by the Royal Spice curry restaurant, which closed its doors permanently last April.
- Day-to-Night Business: The venue will start as a daytime café serving brunch, sandwiches, paninis, cakes, and coffee, before becoming an Indian-Bangladeshi restaurant in the evening.
- Business Partnership: This expansion is undertaken by Mark Pummell, who started the Ruby Jeans chain, along with Liv Garriock, who is their head chef, and Tahir Bhuiyan, who owns Ali Mahal, the Shirehampton restaurant.
- Famous Avenue: The Chandos Road is famous for having some of the best restaurants in the area, including Michelin-starred Wilsons, Dongnae, Little Hollows Pasta, and One Fish Street.
- Challenges Facing the Hospitality Industry: Founder Mark Pummell mentioned that there are growing challenges in the hospitality industry, such as increasing costs and cautious customers.
Bristol (Bristol Express News) November 6, 2026 — A renowned Bristol food name is making its way to one of the city’s most celebrated culinary streets, bringing a unique daytime and nighttime hybrid concept to the local community.
Why Is Ruby Jeans Expanding To Chandos Road In Redland?
As reported by Ellie Kendall of Bristol Live, popular local brand Ruby Jeans has announced its expansion into Chandos Road, Redland, taking over a restaurant site that had remained empty since April of the previous year. The road is widely recognized as a vibrant foodie hub, boasting a mix of independent traders and high-profile eateries, including Michelin-starred Wilsons, Dongnae, Little Hollows Pasta, and One Fish Street.
As reported by Ellie Kendall of Bristol Live, founder Mark Pummell stated that the move represents an evolution of the brand, which originally started as a small coffee shop in Shirehampton back in 2019.
Mark Pummell stated to Bristol Live that:
“Ruby Jeans began as a small coffee shop in Shirehampton and grew from our ambition to create somewhere that combined good food with a warm, personal welcome. During the pandemic, we adapted to offer takeaway food and essential groceries, which helped us build strong relationships with our local community.”
What Will Be On The Menu At The New Chandos Road Venue?
As reported by Ellie Kendall of Bristol Live, the new venue is set to provide a dual offering that combines a relaxed daytime cafe culture with an authentic evening Indian-Bangladeshi dining experience. During daylight hours, patrons can expect classic cafe selections, including brunch items, sandwiches, paninis, cakes, and coffee.
The evening operation will follow in subsequent phases, utilizing the culinary expertise of director Mark Pummell, head chef Liv Garriock, and business partner Tahir Bhuiyan—the owner of Shirehampton restaurant Ali Mahal. The partnership builds upon existing collaborations, such as the monthly ‘curry club’ events previously hosted together in Shirehampton.
Mark Pummell stated to Bristol Live that:
“Chandos Road brings together our daytime Ruby Jeans offering and eventually an Indian-Bangladeshi evening concept, working with my business partner, Tahir Bhuiyan, who runs Ali Mahal in Shirehampton. During the day, people can expect brunch, sandwiches, paninis, cakes and coffee. We want a relaxed atmosphere where people can meet friends, enjoy brunch or grab a lunch to go.”
Speaking on the appeal of the neighborhood, Mark Pummell noted to Bristol Live that the location possesses a distinct character and a community that deeply values independent dining.
Mark Pummell stated to Bristol Live that:
“There are some fantastic independent businesses here, and it’s exciting to join a street where people appreciate good food and the people behind it. Having restaurants such as Wilsons nearby is part of the attraction, but so is the neighbourhood itself. There’s a mix of residents, students and people working locally, and we want to offer somewhere they can use regularly.”
How Is The Hospitality Industry Impacting Expansion Plans?
As reported by Ellie Kendall of Bristol Live, launching a new site in the current economic climate comes with significant fiscal hurdles. Independent operators across the United Kingdom continue to grapple with escalating overhead costs and tighter household budgets.
Mark Pummell stated to Bristol Live that:
“It’s an incredibly challenging industry to be in at the moment. The cost of running a hospitality business keeps rising, while customers are understandably being more careful about spending. We have and continue to balance all this. We’ve felt those pressures directly. We’ve had to make difficult decisions about our menu, staffing and how we operate, while protecting the quality and welcome that people come to us for.”
Despite these economic hurdles, the team views the Chandos Road expansion as a calculated step toward long-term stability. By applying lessons learned through the pandemic and their initial Shirehampton venture, the founders aim to establish a resilient business model that supports staff and integrates smoothly into the Redland neighborhood.
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Background of the Development
The arrival of Ruby Jeans on Chandos Road marks the latest chapter for a thoroughfare long celebrated as one of Bristol’s premier independent food destinations. The site itself had stood vacant since the closure of the Royal Spice curry house in April of the previous year. Ruby Jeans originally established its footprint in Shirehampton in 2019 as a neighborhood coffee shop, gradually expanding its community presence by offering essential provisions and takeaway services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over subsequent years, the brand cultivated a local following through comfort food and personal service, alongside successful culinary partnerships like their regular collaborative curry nights with Ali Mahal. This expansion represents a strategic transition from a single suburban site into a multi-concept urban operation, marrying daytime cafe offerings with specialized evening dining on a street globally recognized for culinary excellence.
Impact on the Particular Audience
For local residents, students, and professionals working in Redland and surrounding areas, the opening of Ruby Jeans introduces a versatile new neighborhood anchor that bridges casual daytime socializing with specialized evening dining. For the local dining community, the arrival of a trusted independent brand into a formerly vacant property reinforces Chandos Road’s reputation as a resilient ecosystem for independent hospitality, providing patrons with broader menu choices without compromising the street’s artisanal character. However, given ongoing macroeconomic pressures within the UK hospitality sector—such as elevated energy expenses, supply chain inflation, and constrained consumer disposable income—the long-term viability of the venture will depend heavily on the founders’ ability to successfully balance their dual-concept day-and-night model while maintaining competitive pricing for local consumers.
