"Excitement" as The Fossil Thief confirms it is a permanent Gunwharf fixture following a "crazy few months"
After a “crazy few months” an independent cafe and bar has confirmed it will be a permanent fixture at Gunwharf Quays following a temporary contract.
The Fossil Thief opened its doors in July, 2025 as temporary location with a six month contract in place.
But owner, Joe Ross, has now confirmed the team is there to stay for the long haul which was the initial goal when the project started.
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Previously a gym, The Fossil Thief, located at the Lock Keeper’s Cottage, was completely transformed to create a versatile space which doubles up as a coffee shop by day and a taproom by night.
Joe said: “We are so excited. It’s been a crazy few months of finding our feet and doing something new and bringing all of these local brands into Gunwharf, so we are really excited that we’re going to be a permanent fixture because celebrating what the city has to offer is something we are all about and continuing that into the future was always the main aim ultimately so it’s nice to see that come to fruition.
“It’s a constantly evolving project and because we are independent, we get to be quite dynamic and change our direction based on what people want.
“We started with nothing. We started with something that was potentially a temporary project so we didn’t have the foothold we truly needed to be able to say lets throw some money at this and that but I think food is going to be a big part of what we offer going forward.”
The venue is hoping to add light bites to its menu in the coming months, adding to its existing offering of pastries, sandwiches and bacon baps. On top of this, there are plans in the pipeline to offer wine tasting, cocktail making classes and more.