Sophia Martinez
Google
🕐 A Frustrated 12:50pm Coffee Quest
I pulled into the area just before 1 p.m., already tense from circling unfamiliar streets hunting for something deceptively simple—safe parking. The kind where you don’t glance over your shoulder every three seconds or wonder if your car will still be there when you leave with your drink.
Eventually I found a spot and stepped into what looked like another trendy coffee shop in Houston. The kind you go to for a casual cup, idle chatter, or heads-down laptop time. Familiar layout, familiar feel. But that parking stress didn’t fade—it followed me in like a shadow of Debbie Downer mode (LOL).
I did appreciate one thing immediately: menus posted for browsing while you waited in line. As someone new to this shop, that helped. I scanned for something interesting, hoping the drink would turn my mood around.
But then the waiting began. And this wasn’t the kind of wait with intention—no clear counter space to stand, no real flow or system. Just drifting, hoping to catch someone’s attention. Behind the counter, two staff members chatted away—laughing, lingering in conversation while drink orders piled up. Mine included (ha-ha).
Minutes passed. They weren’t prepping, weren’t blending, weren’t brewing. Just talking. Meanwhile, I stood there watching this slow unravel of customer service. My frustration reached its peak.
By the time I left, I knew I wouldn’t return. Not because the coffee was bad—it might’ve been decent, had I gotten it with any sense of care—but because the experience felt like an afterthought.
Houston has no shortage of coffee shops. But too many follow the same script: no safe parking, no spatial awareness, no commitment to community or comfort. And the menus? Predictable. I long for cafés that celebrate global coffee traditions—give me Turkish richness, Arabic spiced blends, Indian filter coffee, Brazilian depth. Not the same espresso and oat milk options copied from the next place over (hint starts with S and B).
If anyone's listening: start with safe parking. Then build an experience worth staying for.