t bay cafe is a full-service, fully licensed cafe and restaurant in Titahi Bay, Porirua, Wellington, founded by Anna Doyle and Jeff Goldsbury after they moved to the area in 2017. The pair set out to bring a proper community cafe to Titahi Bay's main shopping area, which by the 2000s had fallen into disrepair after decades of decline. Building and fitout began before COVID-19 hit New Zealand in early 2020, delaying the cafe's opening until November 2020.
The menu covers breakfast and lunch, all made fresh in house, alongside a cabinet of house-made gluten free slices, baps, cakes and other baking. Almost all of the menu is gluten free or can be made gluten free, with a separate gluten free fryer and toaster, gluten free flour used in all pancakes, and a well-known seafood chowder that's also gluten free. Vegan and dairy free options are available too. Coffee is made using Good Fortune, a fair trade organic coffee roasted in nearby Petone.
t bay cafe is fully licensed, serving beer, wine and spirits from an independently curated range, including beer on tap from Beer Engine and Abandoned Brewery, alongside a full range of non-alcoholic and low alcohol options. There are outdoor tables at the front and a sunny beer garden deck at the back, both dog-friendly for friendly dogs. The cafe also hosts evening functions and events for up to 75 people, offers catering for a range of occasions, and sells gift vouchers online.
t bay cafe sits in the heart of Titahi Bay's main shopping area in Porirua, on a site that spent decades slowly fading. What was a vibrant 1970s shopping strip declined through the 1980s recession, was dealt a further blow when North City Plaza opened in Porirua in the 1990s, and by the 2000s had settled into a state of boarded-up disrepair. It's against that backdrop that Anna Doyle and Jeff Goldsbury saw an opportunity.
Anna and Jeff moved to Titahi Bay around the time their first child was born in 2017, and quickly noticed something missing: by that point, there were no full-service cafes or restaurants operating in the area at all, despite a growing local population wanting somewhere to meet, socialise and eat. By late 2019, the perfectly located cafe building in the old mall became available, and plans for t bay cafe began in earnest.
The couple weren't doing it alone. Head Chef Timm Livingston, who had recently moved to Titahi Bay from one of Wellington's best-rated cafes, answered their staff ad, as did Head Barista and Front of House Manager Janet Bostock. Along with a wave of enthusiastic local applicants, the team set to work on systems, supplier relationships and staffing well before the doors ever opened, working on the shared belief that a genuine full-service cafe would draw the community in.
That plan hit an unexpected obstacle: COVID-19. New Zealand identified its first case in late February 2020 and went into full lockdown by late March, closing all but essential businesses. The cafe's fitout and opening, originally planned for earlier in the year, was pushed back to November 2020 as a result — a delayed but ultimately successful launch for Titahi Bay's first full-service cafe and restaurant in years.
Today, t bay cafe runs a full breakfast and lunch menu made fresh in house, backed by a cabinet stacked with house-made gluten free slices, baps and cakes. Dietary care isn't an afterthought here — almost the entire menu is gluten free or can be made that way, with a dedicated gluten free fryer and toaster, gluten free flour used in every batch of pancakes, and a well-known seafood chowder that's gluten free as standard. Vegan and dairy free options round out the offering.
Coffee comes from Good Fortune, a fair trade organic roaster based just up the coast in Petone. Being fully licensed and independent, t bay cafe isn't tied to a single supplier for its drinks list either, running a curated range of beer, wine and spirits including craft beer on tap from Beer Engine and Abandoned Brewery, plus a full range of non-alcoholic and low alcohol options for anyone not drinking.
Outdoor tables at the front and a sunny beer garden deck out back give t bay cafe two different outdoor settings, and both welcome friendly dogs, making it an easy stop for a coffee on a dog walk around Titahi Bay.
Beyond day-to-day service, t bay cafe hosts evening functions and events for up to 75 people — fundraisers, quiz nights, live music, celebrations and promos among them — with food, drinks and service staff available. Catering is offered for occasions from morning teas and work lunches to parties and larger events, and gift vouchers can be bought online for anyone wanting to share the experience.
From an idea born out of a gap in the local community, through a COVID-delayed build, to a genuinely busy neighbourhood spot today, t bay cafe has become exactly what Anna and Jeff set out to create: somewhere Titahi Bay can meet, eat, and belong.