Brown Bear's Coffee House in Cwmbran open for business

Brown Bear's Coffee House is fronted by husband and wife team Adam and Donna Brown, along with his parents Simon and Sarah Brown.

The shop has taken over the former Nine Yards premises in the Cwmbran Centre.

Simon Brown said that the family were excited to be opening following a frantic last week.

“It has been a good journey and everyone is very excited,” he said.

“We have had a marathon six days. The previous shop closed last Wednesday and then we opened today.

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“The team have been working until 3.30am and 4am most days, refitting the store to make this happen.

“We are a local family, and our goods are supplied locally wherever possible.

“We have some great suppliers, including Beth’s Bakes in Newport.

“We want to embrace the Danish idea of ‘hygge’. It is about being warm and welcoming, and enjoying what you have.”

(Simon and Sarah Brown with the plaque dedicated to Sarah's father, Keith Jordan)

The location holds a special place in the hearts of its new owners, as the family visited it regularly with Sarah’s father, Keith Jordan.

Mr Brown said: “He came here four to five times a week. He would always choose the same spot by the window.

“We used to come in here with him when this was Sub Zero and then when it changed to Nine Yards.

“He always had a saying: ‘the sky is the limit’. We really love the quote, so that is why we have got it on a plaque on the wall where we used to sit.”

With a number of recent high-profile closures in Cwmbran town centre

, Mr Brown said he is hopeful that Brown Bear's Coffee House opening will be a success in the town.

He said: "We have lost Marks and Spencer, Patisserie Valerie and just this week Frankie and Benny’s.

"This is a difficult time for businesses, but we have opened now we really hope that we can fill a space in the market.

"We think that we may have a brand that can work.

"First we need to establish this business, and then we can look at whether or not we can go on from there."