Longa, the Cardiff Turkish restaurant founded by sisters Gizem Yorgun and Simge Yalcin in 2019, has opened a second site on Park Place in the city centre, creating 16 new jobs. The original restaurant started in the Whitchurch area of Cardiff, and the leadership team was joined by actress Pinar Ogun in 2023. The new venue seats 100 guests and serves an all-day breakfast menu alongside its evening offering.
The expansion was backed by a £120,000 finance package from BCRS Business Loans, part of the British Business Bank’s £130 million Investment Fund for Wales, after rising construction costs threatened to derail the sisters’ plans. “When we saw the space on Park Place, we knew it was perfect, but with spiralling costs, we needed further support to realise our dreams,” said Simge. The new restaurant served more than 300 covers in its first weekend alone.
“It’s pretty amazing to sit back and watch their reactions, all the while knowing we created that plate,” said Pinar. Niki Haggerty-James, business development manager at BCRS, said: “Longa is fantastic, and it’s wonderful to support a business that is both women and ethnic-led,” while Bethan Bannister, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, said the restaurant had strong potential to keep growing in the sector, as first reported by Wales Online.
Recognition since the expansion
The Park Place site has gone on to build a reputation of its own since opening: Longa has since been named Turkish Restaurant of the Year at the Wales Prestige Awards and picked up a place in the Good Food Guide, recognition that suggests the sisters’ bet on the bigger venue is paying off.
Still going strong into 2026
More than a year on from opening, the Park Place restaurant continues to draw strong reviews, rated 4.5 stars by diners on OpenTable, who highlight its cocktail list and attentive service. Sitting directly opposite Cardiff’s New Theatre, it has also become a popular choice for pre-theatre dining — a second use case that has helped keep both restaurants busy since the expansion.
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