I am an active participant on all types of Facebook groups. With them I am able to frequent places, that maybe sometimes Yelper's don't always go to. I use both platforms in tandem to make better informed choices. Are both reliable sources? I believe so. I have noticed my experiences lately have become hit or miss. When I go to a new place I try not to have any expectations. However, social media has a funny way of boosting or even over- inflating what a business is.
I've been on a coffee kick as of late. And "Vamos Coffee" has been mentioned alot. It happens to be ten minutes where I reside in the Westside. My work schedule finally aligned and I was able to go. It happens to be in a small strip mall. One thing that brought me here was their ever-changing menu. The coffee flavors are usually themed. For example they had a menu for Valentine's Day. They had a rock and roll themed menu too, which I believed was unique.
With all the beginning praises for this place I should've liked it but alas. Firsthand experience is a cruel teacher. When we got here there were a few customers ahead of us. I think if you are a first time visitor you should always declare this. The way a business handles this reveals a business's character. My partner stated this and they were like, "Whatever." I will say this place has a cute aesthetic. Bossa nova jazz, which I have a soft spot for is playing overhead. Again why didn't I like it?
Firstly, despite its ambience it lacks any personality. The servers that work here set the tone and it felt very unwelcoming. If you are packed to the brim I don't expect a red carpet to be unfurled for you. But it wasn't busy. And simple niceties don't cost you a cent but they are invaluable. I went with a regular drip coffee as I am not a fan of cold brew coffees and that seemed to encompass their menu. I also saw that they carried tacos and I was a bit hungry.
I noticed on their menu they had tacos but they were all vegan options. Hello, we are in the Westside people! I also noticed they had fancy boutique pan dulce. Which were all 5 to 6 bucks each. Three minutes down the road is Mario's panaderia and you can fill up a bag for that. All items finally came out. Since it was hot it was double cupped. There were no cups with labeling that advertises your business. No witty logos which could tie it to this oft overlooked community. It is imperative that a business uses every resource at its disposal. At the moment our city is overinundated with everything at the moment..
As for my coffee it was just coffee. Definitely not worth the 10 minutes it took to get here. I don't like knocking new places especially local coffee houses in my area. However, this place lacks any personality, the service is half-hearted and the product is just not there yet. I keep hearing the battlecry, "Shop locally!" Whilst people are using their pivot to fulfill a dream, they also need to treat it like a sustainable business model. read more