Dialogue Cafe, London’s first café run primarily in British Sign Language (BSL), has launched its newest location — Carpenters Dialogue Express Cafe, a converted train carriage nestled in Newham’s Carpenter’s Estate.

This unique venture is more than a coffee spot — it’s a bold statement of inclusion, social reform, and local pride. Staffed almost entirely by deaf and hearing-impaired team members, Dialogue Express empowers its employees through meaningful employment and offers patrons a fun, educational introduction to BSL. Ordering is done entirely in sign language, with easy-to-follow guides and video displays for newcomers.

Rooted in the theme ‘Community First,’ the cafe is designed to benefit residents, students, builders, commuters, and parents alike. Surrounded by a rich mix of community features — including a primary school, gym, basketball court, art murals, and a community garden — Dialogue Express Cafe is positioned to become a hub for connection and growth.

“We believe authentic experiences can spark real impact,” says Hakan Elbir, Project Lead at Dialogue Cafe. “Dialogue Express is about bringing people together — across language, background, and ability — over something as simple as coffee.”

Dialogue Express Cafe represents a scalable model for inclusive enterprise — one that celebrates the deaf community, invites the public to engage in new ways, and turns a daily ritual into an opportunity for connection.

Sandwiched between the Queen Elizabeth Park and Stratford town centre, the Carpenters Estate is being regenerated to provide more and better homes for Newham. Its resident-led Masterplan will see an increase in houses and flats, outdoor spaces, shops and community facilities over the next 15 years, with Newham’s wholly owned housing company overseeing the delivery.

The carriage café has been delivered as one of many Meanwhile Projects on the estate, designed to engage with the existing community before development work commences on the residential buildings. As the community grows to over 2,300 residents in the coming years, Dialogue Express will grow with it, becoming a hub for existing and future residents.