Aug.17.2009 at 1:40 pm | joshua
Search For Best Coffee Shop in Toledo – Caffieni’s Coffee
The Facts:
Location: Caffeini’s Coffee is located on Secor near Dorr, right across from Rocket Hall
Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday – Friday: 7am – 10pm, Saturday: 8am – 10pm, Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Initial Price: $1.80 20oz drip
Refill Cost: $0.75
WiFi: Free (Although it didn’t work while I was there)
Fair Trade Options: Unknown (None advertised, and I didn’t ask)
Organic Options: Unknown (None advertised, and I didn’t ask)
Twitter-sized Review:
Nice, open atmosphere. Expensive refills, free WiFi available but not working, good coffee. Trying too hard to be eclectic. Score: 5/10
Completely Opinionated Review:
I had high hopes when I walked into Caffeini’s. The atmosphere was great… wide open spaces, comfortable seating, pleasing colors and decor. Upon getting to the counter, I was overwhelmed by their massive menu. I couldn’t even find the drip coffee section at first, and just simply asked for a house coffee of whatever they were brewing (and added the redundant “for here”), which is the exact same thing I’ll be saying at every coffee shop I visit. The initial price isn’t bad, $1.80 for a 20oz is pretty normal for most coffee shops, but I was pretty surprised to see a sign advertising a refill cost of seventy-five cents. That is pretty expensive for a refill!
My coffee came in a standard paper cup (admittedly, I’m looking for places to serve my coffee in a mug of some sort, less paper waste makes me happy), and was decent enough. The coffee itself compares pretty well with a Pike Place roast from Starbucks (I got the Black & Tan that they were brewing at the time.)
The atmosphere is really the star of Caffeini’s though. I sat on a comfortable padded bench that I could easily spend an entire work day on. A plug for my laptop was within reach, which is a huge bonus. There was also a few flat-panel televisions with CNN on, a nice touch. But I was discouraged to find that even though my laptop connected fine to their wireless access point, the internet was not available. Admittedly I did not ask anyone behind the counter for support, but I would still expect a place that advertises free WiFi to have it working.
Additionally, I was a little concerned about a place that advertises itself as a hub for the intellectual community to be trying to hard to reach out to it’s college crowd. Items on the menu such as a “Hempaccino” are laughable at best. Still, this could just be a sign of me not being college-aged anymore, and everything about this coffee shop is aimed at the college student.
Final Grade:
5/10 – I loved the seating area, but was unhappy with the overall cost of a regular coffee refill. Additionally I don’t feel comfortable inviting clients into a place advertising (all over the place) their new “Hempaccino.” A lack of working WiFi during my visit also plays into my overall sense of “meh” towards Caffeini’s Coffee.
I also liked the atmosphere here but found the costs to be too high. I ordered a Vietnamese coffee and was disappointed considering the price. I also don't want to hang out with the college crowd. Still, I may head back there some day. I thought they had gelato which I am always game for.
Wi-fi works. On the bottom of the receipt is the access code. Coffee ""for here" is served in mugs 16 and 20 oz. . All the coffee served is arabaca and most roasted localley. The Cafe Triniteco from Honduras is fair trade and is also sold in one pound bags for $8.99. Discount coupons are available at http://www.toledosupersavor.com. Ask for a "free cup of coffee card from the barista.
Ron –
Thanks for checking in!
As I mentioned in the post, I had no problem connecting to the WiFi, there was just nothing on the other side. And I'm happy to hear that you normally do serve the coffee in mugs, it's unfortunate I was not offered one when I was there when I very clearly ordered a "house cup of coffee for here."
I am very happy to hear about the fair trade and Arabica beans, but most coffee that isn't Folgers is Arabica, so that's not really saying much :)
Correct address for Caffeini's discount coupons should be http://www.toledosupersaver.com
And actually Ron, I lied… even Folgers uses arabica beans now.
How can you complain about Wi-Fi access not working if you didn't even bother to ask a question about it? Also, you may misunderstand the reason for hempuccino being on the menu. It is a cappuccino made with hemp milk, a healthy alternative to regular 2% milk, packed with Omega 3 and 6.
You have complaints because you had questions that weren't answered simply by your gazing around the room, but you didn't bother to converse with an employee and find out how knowledgeable, friendly and willing to answer your questions they may be. Customer service is a hugely important factor in grading a coffee house.
Since the college campus is located directly across the street from Caffeini's, it is no surprise that one of their main goals it to appeal to the college crowd. Is there something lacking from the atmosphere or menu that appeals to a more mature crowd than college students? I don't understand why this is a negative aspect, but my view may be marred by the fact that I am a college student myself.
I highly recommend that you make another date with Caffeini's and perhaps ask some questions or even share your thoughts with the employees. I bet they would be glad to hear what you have to say. The more that customers speak up about what they WANT in a coffee shop, the more easily that coffee shop can comply and offer whatever it is that their customers are looking for. There is even a comment box in Caffeini's for this specific reason. :-) Anyway, thanks for coming in, and I hope to see you around.
Betsy –
Thank you for the response, I can definitely tell you enjoy this particular spot, and that's great!
As I mentioned in my initial post, found here:
http://www.loveisgreaterthan.com/best-coffee-shop...
I am just one guy, with one opinion. I was looking for something specific, to fit MY needs. Not everyone has the same ideas or concerns as I do, and I understand that. Thankfully, I am not a journalist, I am just one man with a blog. Therefore, while you may not agree with how I grade a location or my concerns with said location, it's still just my one, non-professional opinion.
I have no interest in arguing said opinions, because in the end it doesn't really matter. As I stated in my final post, found here:
http://www.loveisgreaterthan.com/toledos-best-cof...
I encourage everyone to check out all the local coffee shops on their own, even the ones I did not visit, because they may find they like someplace more than I do, because everyone has their own likes/dislikes.
Yes, Caffeini's can and SHOULD appeal to the college crowd. That being said, I am 28 years old, am not a college student, and when I do meet with clients they're generally not college students either. So, for what I personally am looking for, Caffeini's was not a great fit. While I do understand the health benefits of hemp milk, that is NOT the first thing most people think of. Granted that's not your problem, but it is mine when I am trying to appear as professional as possible to demanding clients. I'd rather not spend the first five minutes of a consultation explaining that a Hempuccino has nothing to do with marijuana.
To be fair, I graded ALL coffee shops the same way… as you state, "by gazing around the room." This was a poor-mans review system. No doubt it has flaws, but at least everyone was graded in the same manner.
Again, I thank you for stopping by and voicing your support. I'm glad to hear Caffeini's has such fans and/or employees.
It's just not what I am looking for :)
I love the debate. I am a little disappointed that instead of talking about what you found deficient that some of the commenters haven't gone and done their own comparison.
I would love to see Betsy do a side by side with a couple of the ones you really liked. Just to see if she can understand where you were coming from.
Joshua I am telling you that you may not be a journalist but you write well!! Good job standing up for your observations!
Wow Joshua, be a little assertive and speak up!! If you have a question you won't get the answer without asking. Also it should really take only take about 20 seconds to explain to someone a "hempaccino" is made with hemp milk, not pot. Though you may sound rediculous in implying that a marijuana made drink could have been made possible in a public coffee shop.
Also when you blog to make ratings of a public place you should be accurate, fair, and more thourough. OK, I don't know if it has organic etc, but I also don't know if the service was quick and, or friendly. Was it clean? etc
Keep in mind your "completely opinionated review" can effect many people's livlihood. Even an incredibly stupid review such as your own, I rank 1/10, of course that is just my completely opinionated review!!
Pam you should invite Joshua for a cup of coffee and discuss this issue regarding his review. He is really a fun guy and you would enjoy the conversation.
Also Pam….If you have a need for an amazing Photographer don't let the coffee talk sour your judgement…Truly Joshua is a great Photographer. We, on the west coast, are hoping to get him out of your hair soon and bring him this way!
Now that I'm back home… I can better reply.
Pam, I am a little disheartened at your comment. Not that I expect you to care. I am happy to see such staunch supporters of this particular coffee shop, and I understand that you are a fan and maybe even you work there (I do question how three different people came to this month old blog post on the same day voicing very similar opinions, but there may be nothing to it), but you have to understand that not every one is going to like the same things you do.
My question is, did you even bother to look at the rest of the posts in this series? Or was this one particular link just passed around to you three? If you took the time to check out the others, you would see that each coffee shop I visited was graded in the same "incredibly stupid" way. Each place was graded on the same level. What I don't understand is why so much distaste is being poured out when I have said clearly, repeatedly, that all the coffee shops I visited were better than the chains, and ALL of them (Caffeini's included) should be checked out on a personal basis. I am not now, nor have I ever told people not to go there. Just the opposite actually (as I have already stated over and over and over and over).
I didn't discuss cleanliness unless something jumped out to me, and nothing did. It's my review process on my blog… sorry it's not what you want to know but that wasn't so important to me. I don't get caught up in the fact that there may be a used straw wrapper on a table when I get there, I just throw it away myself. I don't expect quick service in a coffee shop, it's not on my important list, so I didn't talk about it. I laid out all these simple, "incredibly stupid" ground rules in the very first post.
Again, I apologize if I offended you somehow, but i am more concerned that this offended you in the first place. I am not your target demographic (obviously), I don't hang out with people who are your target demographic, people who read my blog aren't your target demographic, so I can't understand why this is bothering you all so much?
wow Pam… I’m encouraged that there are such staunch caffeinis supporters!
I don’t really have much to say, at least not any more than I already did in regards to my own incredibly unprofessional opinions. I graded everyone the sane, in a way that made sense to me… I’m just one guy, and I have stressed repeatedly that everyone should check these places out on their own. I even mentioned that ALL the places I visited were better than the chains, and nowhere did I mention that caffeinis was a waste, it just wasn’t for me.
I’m sorry you don’t like my review, or it’s style, but there isn’t much I can do to help that. opinions really aren’t worth debating, because it gets us nowhere.
typed that on an iPhone, so please forgive any spelling errors
I give Pam's comment a 1/10. But that's just my opinion :)
In my opinion, which amounts to little. I think a business, ANY business should be able to accept any review, whether good or bad, graciously. If you market to a certain demographic, and someone who doesn't fit that does a review, it MAY be less than stellar. Who cares?! That's not who you are marketing to! If you market to a college crowd and have products called a hempucinno, you should not expect to get a stellar review from someone looking to hold professional consults in your coffee shop. I doubt they want to explain what a hempucinno is every time they bring a client in there. Sure questions could be asked but they weren't! That wasn't the basis of this review. If they had been, that would dig a little deeper into customer service and judging by Pam's response, if she is an employee (and it sounds like she is) that is extremely poor customer service as well. Customer service goes beyond standing behind a counter, it applies anytime you represent your company.
Take your review with grace. It's ok that your shop isn't for everyone, no shop is. Just accept that and move on with business. Refuting a simple review is only making your business look worse.
Holla!
this is all very funny. It was great entertainment reading through these comments!
Glad I could provide some Thursday evening entertainment Brandy ;-)
I just read your "final review" post of all 6 places…. good things to keep in mind. ;o) Maybe someday you'll review my place. That's the deal Jake and I have. 20 years of following him all over for the military and I get my coffee shop. ;o)
Geeze… Just don’t offer your opinion on anything again Joshua. ;)
If you do though…
maybe review lebanese restaurants in Honor of Max Klinger from MASH.
I am actually a little disheartened by the venom of the above commenters. Fortunately I don't reside where it matters. But I would like to state that I would have been more likely to visit Caffieni’s Coffee before these comments. It is sad that while trying to state their case and boast their appeal, all they really have accomplished is alienation.
Me too! The Hempucinno actually sounds good to me and I would like to try it. I would think twice about trying it there now that I've seen the response. Obviously it's far fetched for me to drive to Toledo to try a coffee, but whatever. If I lived there, I probably wouldn't go there based of the comments alone.
Josh,
I apologize if my previous comment came across as any sort of attack against your personal opinion. I don't know who the other recent commenters are, however, I am a Caffeini's employee. I was not trying to argue but rather was trying to help and gain a better understanding of why Caffeini's did not appeal to you and perhaps encourage you to ask questions next time so that your needs are better met. I certainly did not mean to begin some raging debate. It's really not that big of a deal.
Betsy –
No apology necessary! Your comment was not taken in a negative tone at all. Truly I appreciate you stopping by. My review system is definitely flawed, but it's just the way I did it :)
Next time I come in I'll be sure to look for you!
The beauty of this being MY blog… is that I can close comments whenever I want. And the moment this gets personal, I am doing so, which thanks to you, Nick, is now.
There is a part of me that finds it amusing that people like Pam and Nick can write such "Nice" (NOT) comments and remain anonymous. No Link to a Blog or Homepage…Nice. Nothing like a drive-by slamming.
Yes I know that Joshua has their email addresses.