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New Cofee Shop On High Street

May 4, 2010

‘Everyone in Harlesden has been so welcoming,’ Dora Delgado tells me as I sip my latte and wrap my chops around a double chocolate muffin at her newly opened coffee shop on Harlesden High Street – the eponymous Dora’s Delights. As if to prove her point, she shows me two greetings cards on a shelf behind the counter, received from grateful Harlesden residents. According to Dora, customers have expressed nothing but gratitude to her.

‘It’s been going really well since we opened in mid-April,’ Dora says, smiling warmly. ‘One woman told me she’d been living in Harlesden for nearly 30 years and had never been able to enjoy a coffee after going shopping. She was delighted we’d opened.’

As I devour the last of my muffin, Dora tells me that she was inspired to set up shop in Harlesden after looking at a few other sites in different areas around north London. ‘When I came here and saw a lack of coffee shops I thought it would be perfect.’ Looking at the few crumbs remaining on my plate she adds: ‘There wasn’t anywhere for people to come and simply sit and enjoy a coffee and a cake.’

Of course Dora’s Delights is not the only café in Harlesden – there are several. But, it could be described as the first inclusive coffee shop on the high street. Some residents feel excluded – rightly or wrongly – from other cafes in the area because they give the impression of appealing to a specific demographic.

There’s no such complaint at Dora’s Delights. Originally from Afghanistan, Dora now lives in West Hampstead and insists she wants to make welcome all the communities represented in Harlesden. Situated opposite the landmark Jubilee Clock, it’s the perfect spot for the avid people-watcher and, with its glazed façade and seats that face the street, anyone with a nosey disposition can watch the world go by at their leisure.

Although Dora has enlisted the help of her husband, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend (who does a mean clean-up with a mop!) to help in these early days, the business is ultimately hers. And, it certainly seems to be making an impression on the high street with many people doing a double-take as they walk by, surprised to see it open. In the short time I’m here, one lady returns to the café and declares: ‘I’ve come back for some more of your hot-chocolate. I can’t get enough of it!’ With that self-same sentiment, I order another latte and greedily prepare to tuck into my second muffin.

Written by amanda · Filed Under Local businesses