Emmett S.
Yelp
I stopped at the newly opened Parakeet Cafe and tried to order a chai today. I asked if they could do a mixed spice and vanilla, and was told that they don't have spice. Odd, but OK. I asked, specifically, if that meant that they only had vanilla chai. I was told yes, so I ordered one. When they set it on the counter, the bill was $9.60 for a small cup.
I was surprised, and asked why it was so expensive. I was told that they charged me extra for vanilla (the cost was still too high, but...). I explained that I tried to order a basic chai, and they begrudgingly agreed to do it again. But one of the baristas kept asking me if I wanted it spicy - he kept using the term 'Mayan', which I wasn't familiar with. I am allergic to all kinds of peppers, and it sounded like it might have them, so I declined.
When he brought it, he smiled broadly and said, "Here you go. It's very spicy - would you like more Mayan?" I asked what Mayan was, and another barista told me, "It's cayenne pepper!". The other barista kept asking if I wanted more, and I told him that I had already declined and didn't want it in my drink. He glared at me and said, 'No you didn't! You said you wanted it spicy!" His voice kept rising. I remained calm and I tried to explain why I wouldn't have done so. He became increasingly abusive.
The manager intervened, although he did nothing to calm the man down, and he told me that they'd be glad to make me another chai. The abusive barista then exclaimed, "I won't make another chai for that guy!" Another barista made it. Unsurprisingly, there was no talk of comping or discounting. It was $7 plus tax for a small - the only size they carry.
I had also seen a gluten free chocolate eclair - small, but tasty looking, and bought it for my partner, who requires a gluten free diet. The cost of it, it turned out, was $9.60 - no price was listed on the display case, and it was very small. There's a pattern here.
All in all, it took 3 tries to get a small chai. It was not bad, and not great; Sort of 'meh'. Two people I dealt with couldn't communicate, one became abusive, the fare was wildly overpriced and the manager did nothing about it but told me, "I'm sorry. We're just opening. Some people aren't trained yet." I refrained from saying that it's customary to train people before you open a store, but I didn't. The barista kept glaring at me. The manager had been standing next to the offensive barista when the man loudly refused to make me another chai, and did nothing. He seemed completely over his head.
I'll give it a 1 star because the overpriced eclair was tasty, and the chai was innocuous. The service was terrible and the prices were way too high.
I won't be coming back. I recommend that you save your money.