I wanted to like Community Goods, especially after hearing so many good things about their drinks,…read morebut unfortunately my first experience here was bad enough that I genuinely don't see myself coming back.
We don't come to West Hollywood often, so when we saw the extremely long line, we decided to wait anyway. I already knew this place was popular, so waiting wasn't the issue. We ended up being there for around an hour, and I was completely prepared for that. What bothered me was how poorly the crowd was being managed and, more importantly, how unnecessarily rude one of the staff members was.
The shop itself is VERY small, yet when we finally reached the entrance, there was nobody managing the door, explaining the capacity limit, or telling customers when they were allowed to enter. Naturally, when it appeared to be our turn, I walked inside with my sister behind me.
As soon as I entered, a male employee who was working across the counter asked me, "Are you with the group in front of you?" I said no, and he very rudely told me that I needed to go back outside. I don't know what his actual position was, but he appeared to possibly be a manager or someone in charge because he was constantly moving around the shop and handling different things.
My issue was: how exactly was I supposed to know I wasn't allowed inside yet?
This was my first time here. There was no employee stationed at the entrance, no one directing the line, and nobody explaining that customers needed to wait for permission before entering. I had absolutely no problem going back outside and waiting longer. What I DID have a problem with was being spoken to like I had knowingly done something wrong when their own system was unclear.
Ironically, shortly afterward, I watched that same employee go to the front and actually start managing the indoor entrance, asking groups how many people they had and telling people when they could enter. Exactly what should have been happening in the first place. Had someone been doing that when we reached the door, the entire interaction could have been avoided.
Once we finally reached the register, the cashier was actually incredibly sweet and kind. She was probably the best part of the customer service experience, and I genuinely appreciated her. We ordered two matcha Einspanners and two coffee Einspanners. The drinks also came out quickly, which I appreciated after the long wait.
Then, while leaving, there was another employee stationed near the entrance. My sister and I were each carrying drinks, so both of our hands were completely full. The employee appeared distracted and didn't offer any assistance with the door, so I literally had to maneuver it open while trying not to spill our expensive drinks. Is opening the door technically required? No. But when you're stationed right there and see customers struggling with their hands full, it would have been a small gesture of basic hospitality.
As for the actual drinks: they were genuinely good. I preferred the matcha over the coffee, and I can understand why people like them. But when I look at the experience as a WHOLE; the price, tiny drink size, extremely long line, limited space/seating, parking situation, crowd management, and customer service; I simply cannot justify coming back.
You're essentially spending close to the price of a meal on a small drink that can be finished in a few minutes, after potentially waiting an hour, only to receive an attitude from staff because you didn't understand a system that nobody explained to you.
If a business knows it regularly draws crowds this large while operating out of such a small space, there should be a better system in place. Have someone consistently managing the entrance. Clearly communicate when customers can enter. Develop a better queue system. Most importantly, don't make customers feel stupid or unwelcome for not understanding rules that were never communicated to them.
The drinks may be good, but good drinks alone don't make a good café experience. There are far too many cafés in West Hollywood and LA with great coffee and matcha where I don't have to wait an hour, spend nearly $10 on a tiny drink, struggle with parking, AND deal with rude service.
For me, Community Goods was absolutely not worth the hype or the wait. One rude interaction within seconds of walking through the door completely set the tone for what should have been an enjoyable first visit.
Great drinks. Sweet cashier. Terrible first impression and poorly managed customer experience.
I won't be waiting in that line again.