‘The Dock is more than four walls and a coffee machine...it’s where friendships begin and where people discover that they’re not alone’

The Dock Café has been a huge part of my life and story – it’s a true testament to how the café helps people feel a sense of belonging and enables them to thrive.

For the past 11 years, The Dock Café in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter has been more than just a coffee shop for me — it’s been a home and my heart, a mission, and a community I’m deeply proud of. I was first drawn in by the vision of Chris Bennett and the heart behind the café: to create a space that welcomed absolutely everyone.

That vision became my own, and The Dock quickly grew from a weekend volunteer gig into a full-time passion.

I started out as a volunteer doing Saturday shifts, and I loved every minute from the very first day. During that time, I built lifelong friendships with fellow volunteers. While I worked full-time in volunteer management during the week, the experience laid a great foundation for my future roles at The Dock.

When my job came to an end, The Dock had just launched an internship scheme. I saw it as the perfect opportunity to get more involved. After completing the internship, I took on a project role managing the volunteers, and when the previous supervisor moved on, I was privileged to step into my first full-time role at The Dock - and I haven’t looked back.

Working alongside our six trustees, we have worked hard to bring people together and provide a platform for the community to flourish.

Titanic Quarter has become a hub for people from all over the world, whether they live, work, or visit here, and that’s what I love so much about both Titanic Quarter and The Dock Café. It’s probably why I’ve stayed so long and continue to enjoy it as much as I do.

Operated by a dedicated team of over 55 volunteers and supported by one full-time manager and one part-time staff member, The Dock is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am–4pm. At our core is a mission of community-building. Our charity’s vision is simple yet profound: "Life in the Titanic Quarter."

We aim to connect the people in the area, creating meaningful moments over a shared cuppa. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy good tea or coffee regardless of means. All donations go directly toward sustaining the project while supporting our network of local suppliers. By doing so, we not only build community, but we also invest in it.

With a steady stream of visitors from around the world, it’s important to us that The Dock represents the best of Northern Ireland’s local food and drink culture. We’ve developed long-standing partnerships with our suppliers to ensure quality while staying true to our values.

The Dock is more than four walls and a coffee machine...it’s where friendships begin. It’s where people discover that they’re not alone. We also provide a hub for the local community at The ARC apartments and run a series of events for all to enjoy. Some activities include language lessons and other social occasions to help our customers tackle loneliness at home. For residents, we serve as the place to interact and engage with each other over a nice cup of coffee and a delicious bake. That’s what motivates us every day – the social interaction between people and providing some of our volunteers with a renewed sense of purpose each day.

Throughout the year, we hold some evening meals for ARC residents who provide their own specialities. Recently, one local resident helped prepare food for a “Rio-themed dinner” which was particularly tasty.

Art and creativity are also at our core. We regularly showcase work by local artists and photographers, turning our café into a living gallery that changes every few week. Artists are welcome to display their work for our customers and visitors to enjoy.

As the Titanic Quarter continues to grow and evolve, we’re excited to keep growing with it. The Dock Café is a small space doing big things.

I want to thank all those volunteers, staff and customers who have supported us throughout the years and Titanic Quarter Ltd for all their help and support over that time.

So if you’re ever in Belfast, we’d love to welcome you. Whether it’s for a quick coffee, a long chat, or a browse through the local art, the door is always open. At The Dock, you’re never just a customer — you’re part of the story and can stay as long as you like!