‘A new way to connect’: inside the cafe run by deaf baristas where you use sign language to order coffee
Dialogue Express Cafe, which employs only deaf and hard-of-hearing people, opened its doors in east London this summer to break down barriers between communities
In the shadow of the Carpenters Estate in east London sits a former train carriage. Now a cafe, inside baristas take orders from customers while a group of local women — both hearing and hard-of-hearing — sign and chat away at a table in the corner.
Dialogue Express Cafe in Stratford opened its doors in July this year and is the only cafe in London with staff who are all deaf or hard-of-hearing. Customers are encouraged to place orders using British Sign Language (BSL). I ask for an oat milk cappuccino, my first time ordering coffee non-verbally.
The business was set up by Turkish entrepreneur Hakan Elbir, who has spent the past 15 years developing what he describes as “immersive experiences” that raise public awareness of disability rights.
“I’ve been working with disabled people for a long time, observing how difficult it is to be excluded from society,” says Elbir, who moved to the UK in 2019. “As non-disabled people, we are living in a bubble. My aim with this cafe is to break down these barriers.”
Elbir first opened an installation inside the tunnels of the Istanbul metro, guiding sighted visitors through a pitch-black exhibition led by blind guides. It was based on the concept of Dialogue in the Dark, a social enterprise offering immersive experiences raising awareness of disabilities, founded by German social entrepreneur Andreas Heinecke.
“I had this idea, what if we could teach people by putting them in someone else’s shoes?” says Elbir, 51, who can communicate in both Turkish and British sign language.
Elbir’s philosophy, that the “only way to learn is through encounter”, is at the heart of the London cafe, which was born after years of seeing how family members with disabilities were excluded from ordinary social situations, from cafes and museums to family gatherings.
“They were physically present but socially isolated. That stayed with me, so I wanted to create places where communication isn’t a barrier,” he says.
Propped up at the cafe window, a menu on an iPad has links to YouTube videos showing customers how to sign for a coffee or croissant. “We don’t expect people to speak fluently. We just invite them to try,” says Elbir.
“At the beginning, hearing people feel uncomfortable doing it. But then they realise BSL is easy and fun. Their mindsets shift.”
Barista Victor Olaniyan, 22, has been working with the company for four years. He’s proud of the specific skills it takes to make coffee as a deaf person. “Hearing people listen to the milk to know when it’s steamed,” he says. “But us deaf baristas have to use touch. We feel the temperature with our hands.”
Olaniyan feels that being part of a team who are also hard of hearing has “improved his quality of life and reduced the amount of time he spends relying on others”.
“It’s frustrating when certain people don’t seem bothered to order using sign language,” he says. “But I rely mostly on other senses like my sight for lip reading.”
Dialogue Express Cafe currently employs nine people, but Elbir says he receives job applications every week — a sign of the high unemployment rate among deaf and hard-of-hearing people. More than a third of people who use BSL as their main language are employed compared with 77% of people not registered as disabled.
Elbir and the Dialogue team aim to reach beyond the deaf community and see the cafe as a space for deaf and hearing people to meet.
“Quite a few of our regulars are from the local Muslim community, both hearing and hard of hearing. The estate is in a very diverse area and we see that reflected in the people who come here. There’s been a really positive mix of cultures,” says Elbir.
“We hold cultural events here — jazz nights, art exhibitions and BSL classes to encourage communication between hearing and deaf communities. For some locals, it’s their first real encounter with deaf culture. For others, it’s become a regular meeting point that makes them feel proud of their area. We want this to be a hub.”
Soon after its launch in September, the cafe’s BSL course was fully booked. “People are curious,” says Elbir. “Many said it helped them feel more connected to the community and more confident interacting with deaf people. Some even volunteer at our events now. It’s a small but powerful way of building bridges through language and empathy.”
Before I leave, Elbir walks over to two customers to help them sign their coffee order.
“Sign language forces you to open your body and expressions,” he says. “We are not just selling drinks, we’re offering people a new way to connect.”
