Created by brothers Sachin and Shailesh (Sal) Bajpai – formerly of Red Hot World Buffet, the concept secured financial support of £2m from investors, with the aim to be rolled out nationally.
The 13,000 sq foot, two-storey Cardiff venue will create 75 full and part-time jobs, with a 300-cover capacity, including 50 on a top-floor mezzanine available for private hire.
Live cooking
Aiming to serve 5,000 meals a week, the restaurant will offer food from nine cuisines around the world, which will be made to order by chefs in seven ‘live kitchens’ – aiming to differentiate itself from pre-prepared buffet concepts.
Sal Bajpai said: “Our expert chefs will cook each dish live to customers’ own preferences, using fresh, healthy, high-quality ingredients.
“And while there will still be plenty of choice, we will offer a specially-curated selection of dishes from around the world, rather than a staggering array of meals, which diners can sometimes find overwhelming.”
Location
The restaurant will be located next to Cineworld, at the rear of the St David’s Shopping Centre and directly opposite the new Admiral headquarters.
Sal added: “We were looking for a location with an exciting and cosmopolitan culture and an appetite for new ideas when it comes to dining, and with its ever-growing food scene that is making the city a real foodie hotspot, we knew Cardiff would be the ideal choice.
“Our combined experience [at Red Hot World Buffet] gave us an in-depth understanding of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to delivering a successful dining experience. We have used this insight to shape the FED experience, which combines all of the best parts: choice, taste, value and fun.”
FED is short for ‘Food Exploration Destination’, with cuisines including Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Tex Mex and a grill kitchen.
Two further sites have been secured for FED in Scotland and the Midlands, and are due to launch in early 2015.