Our History
Clements is a local, independent chain of coffee shops established in 1999. We currently have 10 sites throughout Belfast conveniently located to cater for your caffeine, lunch and sweet treat needs. There are nine Clements coffee shops as well as Hope Café in the McClay library at Queen’s University.
We serve handcrafted coffee, made from our own unique blend of espresso beans, great food made by our own Clements Kitchen and the tastiest tray bakes you’ll ever eat.
With our rich creamy coffee, array of homemade food and warm, welcoming environment Clements has something for everyone. Come in and indulge in our delicious Suki teas (another local company!), bespoke coffee, iced drinks and silky hot chocolate. Compliment your experience with homemade soups, sandwiches, paninis and more!
The first Clements coffee shop opened in Donegal Square in September 1999. Clements then took over an existing coffee shop, The Ground Floor, on Stranmillis Road in December 1999. These stores were followed by Rosemary Street, Royal Avenue and Botanic Avenue.
Our 6th store on the Lisburn Road was next and we opened our 7th store in the Queen’s Student Union Building in November 2006. Clements PEC, located along the Annadale Embankment, followed in September 2008. Thereafter, we opened our largest Clements site, with seating for 180 people, in the Queen’s MBC building and Clements Ballyhackamore opened in November 2014.
The students’ Union building at Queen’s closed in July 2018 paving the way for a new Clements across the road in Elmwood Ave to replace our SU site. Although our Lisburn Road and Stranmillis sites are no longer with us, we opened a new site in Ulster University Jordanstown in March 2019.
Our company also operates Hope café in Queen’s McClay library, which was opened in September 2009, which offers its own menu as well as Clements unique coffee.
Clements took its name from the eccentric Pope Clements 1592-1608 as it was he who baptised coffee.
It was during Pope Clement’s reign that several coffee emporiums opened throughout Rome and as these establishments tended to be slightly seedy and filled with an after-dark temptation, the Bishops in the area approached Clements asking him to excommunicate coffee.
On hearing this request Pope Clements decided to investigate these seemingly unholy establishments and immediately became a fan of the intoxicating aroma and divine taste of the coffee.
Instead of excommunicating the drink he baptised it, deeming the black liquid to be nectar from God. Coffee is a baptised drink and to this day should always taste like nectar from the heavens!
