Overview

I had a big day ahead of me that would take me all over Belfast and show me a lot more of the city than one would usually have time for. To get fuelled up for my adventures, I popped into the Corn Market branch of this café chain. I'm familiar with the brand as I've visited their Glasgow location at Braehead Shopping Centre more times than I care to admit. My meal, a bagel loaded with just about every breakfast item short of cereal, did the trick – and the access isn’t too bad, either.

Transport & Parking

This location does not have parking facilities, though accessible parking spaces are available in the nearby Victoria Square shopping centre. The closest bus routes are on High Street and Chichester Street, but these are a fair distance from Jamaica Blue.

Access

There is level access from the street, with automatic doors at the entrance, which I appreciate. I've been to so many places where wrestling with the door, while seated in my wheelchair, is a common occurrence. Nothing says I've arrived like the crashing sound of my wheelchair colliding with the front door. The café is spacious, with no shortage of seats, which can easily be moved if you need more space. The counter has no lowered section, although it is pretty low as is, but there is no hearing loop, which is disappointing. Additionally, there are no alternative formats employed, such as braille or large print menus. I paid for my meal at the front counter, with the server bringing the card reader to me and providing a receipt upon request. There is outside seating for those who prefer it.

Toilets

There is a single accessible toilet, which doubles as the main toilet for the café and, as such, it doesn't require a RADAR key to access. The door is a manual door, which opens outwards. The first thing I noticed was the red cord was wrapped around a grabrail, which isn't a great first impression. I untied this and popped a Euan’s Guide red cord card on to prevent this in future. There is room for a left-side transfer to the toilet seat, which was free of bins and other obstructions, bonus points there. There are silver grabrails on either side of the toilet seat, which contrasts well against the black tiles. To your left, when seated, is a low small sink with a lever-style tap and grabrails on both sides. As is standard, there's also a wall-mounted baby change table. The toilet is kept clean, but it should be a regular process for staff to check the red cord is hanging free. If there were to be an emergency, this would prevent someone from seeking help.

Staff

Abdul was friendly and accommodating, happy to bring my coffee to me, rather than watch me struggle with it on my lap.

Photos