Shane D.
Yelp
Today I had the intention of going to the bike store to look for a U-Lock for my commuter and also to have a coffee and send a few emails on my computer. I walked by this place and thought it would be great, I could do both at once. When I first walked in, I could already tell the vibe was very pretentious and rude. There was one table with a person working on their laptop, and another guy at the bar on a stool with a laptop. The employee behind the counter was talking to the person working on his laptop, it could have been another employee or a customer. While I stood there, looking generally lost, they proceeded to continue their conversation for another 5 minutes.
After waiting and wandering aimlessly, I did find a U-Lock but it was not the right size that I wanted. Eventually employee A finally takes my order, I get my coffee, already regretting that I'd asked for it "for-here." (Good thing they messed that up and made it to-go). A different employee (I'll call employee B) appeared and I asked if there were any other tables, and they shrugged and dismissed me, saying no, there's just the one, which was occupied by the guy who had been having a conversation with employee A. Unclear if this was an employee or a customer. So I was like ok I'll just sit at the bar next to the other person there, even though I don't really like to sit on barstools.
Then I go and ask employee B, even though I really don't want to talk to them because clearly my presence is an annoyance to them, if I could have the internet password. They tell me that there is no public wi-fi. I was confused because surely, since I am a customer that paid for a drink, I could now have access to the "customers-only" internet experience typical for coffee shops in the US. But no, this person didn't even make eye contact with me and couldn't be bothered to treat me like another human being and explain why I wouldn't be provided the internet password, even though there were already 2 people in there working on their laptops, who I SAW were connected to the internet.
Is it really such a strange request that a customer at a coffee shop would want to sit and work and enjoy the coffee while using the internet?
Now after experiencing this dismissal and indifference, I didn't feel welcome. I no longer wanted to look for the correct size U-Lock, because that would require talking to an employee who really didn't care one bit about making me feel comfortable or interested in spending money there. I took my coffee and left. What a waste of time.
I don't understand how this place could stay in business if their employees treat people so poorly. I am not new to the competitive cycling scene, I know how pretentious it can be. Wasn't expecting to feel it so intensely right away. Won't be going back.