Let me preface this by saying that I've never written a negative review for anything. I don't abide by the concept that "the customer is always right" and I fully support workers and small businesses respect and rights.
Unfortunately I had a pretty bad experience here, which is sad because all of the past times I've been have been absolutely great. Today however, makes me never want to go back.
Coffee Talk is known as a local spot for folks to work-- many outlets/seats, chill environment, good food/drink etc. Recently (perhaps this week?) they instituted a new rule in which you are asked to purchase something else besides your initial order if you've been there for over an hour. I did that. This is kept track with a piece of paper given to you with the time you've purchased something on it. Based on the language of this slip of paper, it was completely unclear to me that you needed to purchase something else after that second purchase. After about an hour and a half after that 9:55 purchase, a woman that I did not know, who did not announce herself to me as to who she was at all, came up and started very aggressively telling me that "she can't keep this place open if people are just sitting around. It's already 11:30 and you haven't bought anything else." I tried to be as polite as possible, telling her I hadn't understood the policy and that I HAD been back to purchase after the first hour allotment. She was having none of it. Basically just talked over me, really just plain rude. I told her I'd be happy to purchase something else, but at that point I was so put off that I just left. Clearly this system was just put in place, clearly the wording is confusing, and I had only missed the next time allotment by a half hour. I watched her for a few minutes go through the cafe and confront others in the same way. I'm from Boston originally and I am completely used to casual abrasiveness or shortness-- this was not that.
I completely understand the need to have people purchase so that you can stay in business and I've always been mindful of purchasing multiple orders, especially if I'm there for more than an hour. I hope coffee talk continues to do well, and I know my business doesn't hinge on it's success, but I can't see myself going there anymore after being treated so rudely by what seemed to be the owner. She could have easily been just a little bit kinder and I would have happily purchased something else and thought nothing of it.
Bummer, because I liked this spot a lot, but I straight up don't feel welcome here anymore. I hope you all have better experiences, I hope this new policy helps Coffee Talk thrive, and I hope anyone that reads this really pays attention to this policy unless they want to get publicly criticized by a total stranger for making a simple mistake. Not looking for an apology or anything, perhaps just shouting into the void, but this was a really lame interaction today and it felt worthy of sharing.0
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