Popular coffee house moves to larger premises following investment – new site needed to meet demand
A Belfast café business has opened in new, larger premises after securing backing from the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland, managed by Whiterock Capital Partners.
Neighbourhood Café has moved to a bigger space on Donegal Street following increased demand and a significant investment by its owners.
Founded in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter in 2021 by Ryan Crown and Oisin McEvoy, Neighbourhood is a brunch café which offers the “best of Irish coffee and local ingredients”.
The owners of the café, which employs more than 20 staff, decided to move from its previous home at 33 Donegal Street after experiencing daily queues for brunch.
The move to Sessia House at 61-67 Donegal Street means Neighbourhood will now be able to accommodate 75 covers, compared with 40 previously.
An investment of more than £400,000 has been made in the bespoke fit out of the new Neighbourhood Café, which has been supported by funding from Whiterock, which manages the debt fund for IFNI, offering loans of £25,000 up to £2m.
Operated by the British Business Bank, the £70m Investment Fund for Northern Ireland offers a range of commercial finance options including debt finance and equity investment to support businesses from all sectors in Northern Ireland at different growth stages
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Ryan Crown said: “Our mission has always been to authentically share our passion for hospitality in a warm and welcoming way through sincerely warm service, excellent brunch food, and specialty coffee, served in beautiful surroundings, all while celebrating Irish producers and culture.
“Moving only a short distance means we can continue to serve our very loyal existing customers, but the larger, more prominent location also means we’ll be able to attract new customers including tourists, students and workers.
“People are at the core of everything we do at Neighbourhood. We started Neighbourhood to create a place that not only customers get to enjoy but staff love to work in and this unit will help us to do both.”
Rhona Barbour, director at Whiterock, said: “It is great to be able to support the team behind Neighbourhood Café with the fit out and opening of their new site, which will be the business’s flagship location for years to come.”
Sue Barnard, senior investment manager, Nations and Regions Investment Funds at the British Business Bank added: “It is particularly pleasing to see Neighbourhood Café continue to grow and evolve and it is clear they have built up a large customer base through hard work, excellent customer service and of course outstanding food.
“Helping businesses, like Neighbourhood Café take the next step on their growth journey is exactly why the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland was introduced and I am looking forward to seeing what’s next for Ryan and Oisin.”