I went to the original location of this local spot about a year or so ago, and was determined to…read moresupport it. I am all for supporting local businesses, and I liked the name of the cafe. I thought, surely, this is going to be a hip experience. Good vibes.
When they closed, I actually felt a tinge of disappointment. So when I saw their sign at the new location, I kept peering through the windows whenever I walked by, trying to figure out when they were going to open.
All this to tee up my recent experience.
I've now gone to this new location twice, always on a Saturday after I work out. And I never just buy one thing. I buy sandwiches and whatever they have on the counter that looks interesting, just to try.
On my most recent visit, I was really hungry and looking for breakfast sandwiches. I didn't find a lot, but I saw they had a spring mix, tomato, and avocado sandwich, so I ordered two on two different bagels. I added turkey sausage to one and bacon to the other. With the $2 add-on, they were $8.50 each. I also bought the cheddar scone for $4 and the blueberry lemon scone for $5.
All told, I spent around $29 for a to-go order. Did I get a bit of sticker shock for a to-go order? Yes. But it is what it is.
What I didn't appreciate was the lack of courtesy.
I walked in and there was one occupied table. The owner was standing in front of the counter looking down at her phone. No problem. She started talking to me and taking my order while barely looking at me. At first, I thought, well, maybe she is in the middle of an important text message. She did say she needed a few seconds.
But then she would raise her head, look around the counter, and go back to her phone. I stood right in front of her for about five or six minutes, only to realize that she was in the middle of posting on social media.
There was a sort of "sorry," but not really.
Then other customers came in and she was so sweet to everyone. Warm, attentive, engaging. Which only made my experience even more noticeable.
And here's the thing: the food is good. I can even live with the price of the baked goods. I also don't doubt that other people have been served well here.
I can only speak to my own experience, and mine has been far from that. Twice now.
I don't have any history with the owner, nor do I recall having had any long conversations with her that would explain the difference in treatment. I was simply a customer standing at the counter, spending nearly $30 on breakfast.
This, more than the prices, is the reason I am not rushing to go back.
I hope this makes them a little more conscious of providing consistently good customer service. Perhaps others will benefit from my less-than-ideal experience.
