Award-winning restaurant chain could open in city centre

Cambridge locals could get a taste of its award-winning food if approved

A Cambridgeshire city centre could see an award-winning restaurant chain open a new store. The Beefy Boys Holdings Ltd has submitted an application to Cambridge City Council to change the use of a former bar on Bene’t Street in Cambridge into a new restaurant.

The site, on 15 Bene’t Street, forms part of the Grade II listed Barclay’s Bank. It was last used as a bar offering food by Brewdog, but has been vacant since March 2026.

The Beefy Boys opened its first restaurant in Hereford in 2015, before opening a second site in Shrewsbury in 2021 and a third site in Cheltenham in 2023. It also hosts sites in other locations including Oxford and Nottingham.

Now, Cambridge locals could get a taste of its award-winning burgers. The burger chain has won both Signature Burger and Burger Chef of the Year at The National Burger Awards.

The applicants said the new restaurant will “serve as a meeting place for local people and visitors” and will provide a “suitable alternative facility to the existing use”.

The application states it would provide a “high quality restaurant”, enhance the “vitality and viability of this part of Cambridge City Centre” and help to “secure the future up keep of the Grade II Listed building”.

The building’s existing use permits opening hours between 11am and midnight between Sunday and Thursday and between 11am and 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. It is close to a range of existing pubs and restaurants including The Eagle, The Bath House and Pint Shop.

The Beefy Boys Holdings Ltd said these hours are “considered suitable for the proposed use”, but there is considered to be no concerns is earlier hours from 8am were permitted to allow “flexibility for a future use”, they said.

Alongside a change of use request, the applicant has asked for Listed Building Consent for works to the building including internal changes and new signage.