The Dock Cafe reopens, bigger and better!
The latest chapter in the Dock’s journey has just begun with the refit and grand reopening of the café at Titanic Quarter on 26 February.
It was exactly a year ago to the day that The Dock Cafe first opened its doors after signing a ‘meanwhile lease’. This means it operates in an empty unit without paying commercial rent and just has to cover the running costs of the cafe.
And those costs are handsomely met, not through the till but through the Honesty Box. There is no price list so customers enjoy their tea, coffee and whatever food they want and then leave a contribution on their way out. “It’s a system that has provoked countless conversations,” says Revd Chris Bennett, who became chaplain to the Titanic Quarter in November 2009.
The café had to close for a week to allow a large team of volunteers to clean, paint, tile, move, build and install, transforming the space which is home to an eclectic mix of artefacts, some from the famous Drawing Office.
A new feature to appear in the cafe is The Market Stall, just by the door. Artisans will have the stall for a week and they will be able to showcase and sell their wares from it. They’ll even be given £10 of seed funding to help get them started! This is very much in keeping with the Dock ethos of supporting local artists and tradespeople, many of whom have examples of their work around the walls or on the counter.
One very special moment in the celebrations on 26 February was the official opening of The Dock’s new prayer garden (which is, of course, indoors). In line with the Dock vision, the hands pictured holding the scissors to cut the ribbon belong to a Methodist, a Catholic, a Presbyterian and an Anglican – the shared medley of Dock life at work.
“It’s our favourite feature of the new Dock Cafe and one which we hope will make a massive difference in our TQ world,” said Chris “We believe it’s the first time in the history of Queen’s Island that a space has been set specifically aside for prayer, reflection and the work of God,” he continued.
Click here to see some photos.
Even though the café has been a massive success, Chris emphasises that the walks every Sunday afternoon are still The Dock’s intentional way of doing church.
“There is a core of about 10 people who regularly come to the Dock Walk. We always have others dipping in to find out what it’s all about and, in recent times, we have welcomed walkers who have never had previous links with church at all.”
The Dock Walk leaves from the café every Sunday at 3.33 pm and, thanks to a growing bunch of volunteers, the Dock Café is open 11–7 Monday–Friday and 11–5 Saturday.
Call in!