Albie M.
Yelp
As classes have been coming to an end, I've been doing my daily studying at Woodstar, often spending a few hours in the cafe. There are pros and cons. In short, the food and coffee are both very good, with the environment of the cafe not being up to par with just about any other in Northampton. To go into specifics:
It is the cafe located closest to Smith College. However, it is a horrific place for long studying sessions. There is one wall outlet in the entire cafe, located in a corner with hectic seating around it (often the person using the outlet can get trapped by a nearby table being occupied). It is also right by the door, meaning that if it's cold out, you're getting a blast of that cold air every time the door is opened. When it's warmer out it's fine, but it's unpleasant in the winter.
Adding onto this, while the WiFi is of good speed and bandwidth, the connection is poor. There are corners of the cafe the WiFi won't reach, and it goes down fairly frequently (2-3 times per week). I would not trust their internet if you're doing something that is dependent on you having internet, but if you have a wireless hotspot you can connect to as a backup, it's good enough.
They prefer that you use cards on purchases under $10, such that they can get a lower card transaction rate from Square (for reaching an average card transaction of $15), but not so much that they change to a cash-only business model. I've been accosted once by one of the owners for using my card on transactions under $10, but they do still accept cards on such smaller purchases.
There are other small things, such as their curtain blocking the door (I assume to attempt stopping outside air from coming in) causing people to bump into each other (as it blocks visibility from people entering/exiting completely), sometimes dropping their phone/purchase. This would be solved by the installation of an air door, so I'm unsure of the reasoning for the curtain. They recently put a code on the bathroom, but the code is taped to the counter, which is a very difficult place to read it after you've completed your transaction (if you've been sitting for a while).
The food and beverages here are fantastic, but I'd imagine they're best enjoyed when taken out of the cafe. If WiFi and charging isn't a big deal to you, and you're able to regularly get cash to use as payment, it's a great place to patronize. For a student who generally has two devices to charge, and who often can't get cash on campus, you might want to look elsewhere. The Haymarket and Starbucks are both cafes in town that have an abundance of outlets, no issue with you using your card, and WiFi capable of satisfying your studying needs. The prices at Woodstar are fantastic, but at a certain cost.
