Dover Port

Dover Terminal 3

Moto

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11 more photos in the gallery

Location:

Dover Eastern Docks
Next to queuing lane 180

Postcode:

CT16 1JA

map and directions

Access/Layout:

Single site located within a larger complex..

While Dover Port has never actually been a motorway service area (it's only accessible to port traffic and not passers-by), its facilities look and are managed like one. That's because its restaurants and shops have always been outsourced to motorway service area operators.

This page describes those operations only, not the whole of Dover Port itself.

Facilities

Catering: Burger King, Costa Coffee, Costa Express Shops: WHSmith Amenities: Full Hou$e, Travelex Bureau de Change

Contact Details

🏢 Address:
Moto Retail Catering
Eastern Docks
Dover
Kent
CT16 1JA

• 🌍 Official Moto Website
• Foursquare Page
  
  
• 📞 Telephone number: 01304 213883
• 📌 what3words: ///forgot.dockers.repair
• more map options

Trivia and History

The Terminal 1 building with Granada branding.

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11 more photos in the gallery

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T2 Forte bar opened 1986

T1 opened & branded Welcome Break 1990

Sold to Granada 1995

Rebranded Moto 2001

T3 opened 2004

T1 closed 2021

Forte won a contract to provide the catering and retail services at Dover's Eastern Docks which commenced on 9 June 1990, under the Welcome Break brand. Welcome Break were taken over by Granada, who have now been rebranded Moto, and each operator updated their offer to remain in line with the rest of their motorway sites.

Internally, the only differences between the terminal facilities and their cousins on the motorways are that the shops stock more items related to driving in Europe, the dining areas display departure information and there are more currency exchanges. Externally, the buildings are managed by Port of Dover.

Unlike their predecessors, Moto don't display their own branding very prominently at all, preferring to use the Burger King logo instead. Until 2010, Moto didn't list Dover in any of their publicity, making their operation here a bit of a secret for only the most devoted Moto fans.

Terminal 1

The Terminal 1 building was built for use by Welcome Break, as part of a £2.5m investment. The main facility was a Granary restaurant, with a shop and toilets, all arranged along a corridor. A Bureau de Change was also provided.

Additional toilets were provided at the back because the building was only open during the daytime. Outside, the roof extended to one side, where it acted as a coach interchange. The main entrance was a revolving door positioned in one corner. The roof was initially painted yellow, but soon painted Dover's green.

As with most Welcome Break locations, David Fisher was commissioned to paint some artwork. At Dover the mural was dedicated to the destinations served from the port.

The facility became property of Granada when they took over the company in 1995. Although Granada were forced to sell all the Welcome Break motorway service areas, this wasn't a motorway service area so instead it was able to become Granada branded. The restaurant became Fresh Express, with a Burger King, and a Gscape game arcade was added. A Little Chef Express was believed to be there for a while too.

This building was then run by their successors, Moto. The Granada logo was taken down and replaced by a sign saying "Food Village"; this name was also promoted online using Dover Port's blue colour scheme. Internally it became known as "Passenger Service Building East".

The main restaurant became Moto's EDC and Caffè Ritazza combination, which were later replaced by Costa. The shop became WHSmith. A report dated 2006 stated that Moto were managing a bar and a Franklin's of Boston here, too. The bar was most likely Barnacles Bar, which moved here from Terminal 2.

As part of Dover's Brexit management plan, the Terminal 1 building was demolished in June 2021. At the time, fireman's switch on the building was still labelled "Granada", while the original brown tiled flooring was still used throughout the main corridor.

The rebuild only allows for a new toilet building to be built, but Dover are looking at providing Moto with some temporary buildings they can trade from.

Terminal 2

The tall roof of the Terminal 2 building, pictured in 1995.

The Terminal 2 building was opened on 22 May 1986 as Barnacles Bar. At the time this was Dover's main passenger facility, and it was built to replace the Merry Dolphin restaurant that had existed in the reception building since 1953.

Barnacles was a distinctive building with a very tall roof, and dark tiling inside. Dover's distinctive flyover system, known as The Fan, was built around it and left Barnacles sat in a permanent dark shadow.

As part of the contract Forte won in 1990, the building became Welcome Break branded. The new contract saw the opening of Terminal 1, and Barnacles became Terminal 2, primarily for freight traffic. The bar moved out and the building was extended in the 1990s with a new lobby. It carried Granada branding during their tenure.

A report from 2006 stated that Moto operated a shop and a Franklin's of Boston in Terminal 2. A sign outside had a number of covered-up logos, including what looked like Burger King.

The building was demolished in 2008. As of 2021, some internal Moto documents still listed Dover Terminal 2 as one of their sites.

Terminal 3

A second catering building was built for use by Moto in 2004. This one was in Terminal 3, branded "Broadwalk Shopping", but known internally as "Passenger Service Building West".

It used a more modern, tall design with a glass front and seating spread over two levels, with the second level acting as a viewing platform. Similar facilities were offered inside: Burger King, Caffè Ritazza, Gscape game arcade, a Travelex Bureau de Change and a shopping area which used the Broadwalk name.

The Terminal 3 facilities were updated as with the rest of Moto's estate, with the coffee shop becoming Costa, the shop becoming WHSmith and the arcade becoming Full Hou$e. Until 2016, a Caffè Ritazza outlet was still advertised on the big screens next to each dock, even though it hadn't existed as part of the facilities for some time.

Similar Facilities

The Costa unit in the passenger building, provided by Moto.

Moto also operated a Caffè Ritazza and a shop in the Dover Travel Centre. The building itself opened in the early 1980s, but it's not clear when the motorway operators first became involved. The Travel Centre was the 'land' side of Eastern Docks and was built underneath a car park, making the building itself difficult to see.

The Travel Centre closed in April 2014, but tenants were moved to the Passenger Handling Building, with Moto opening a Costa unit within it.

In addition to the terminal facilities described here, Dover Port used to sell fuel too. It wasn't ran by any of the operators discussed so far, but was branded Mobil (later BP) and positioned at the entrance to the docks. This was closed in about 2004.

In 2007, Welcome Break returned to the market by taking on a similar site a few miles down the road in the Eurotunnel. They left this in 2013.

Alternatives

Previous:		Next:
Folkestone (M20, 14 miles)	Services on the A20	end of road
Medway (M2, 39 miles) Harbledown (A2 southbound, 20 miles) Gate (21 miles)	Services on the A2	end of road
Medway (M2, 39 miles) Thurrock (M25 north, 67 miles)	Moto services	end of roads