Vintage Caffeine Co. — Restaurant in Calgary

My husband and I are regulars of Vintage Caffeine Co, purchasing two lattes everyday (often twice a day) on our morning walk, rain or shine - religiously since 2019. We prefer the coffee served here over the other two shops in immediate walking distance and love having them so close to home for our daily coffee fix. In the years we have been patrons, the store has changed staff and management many times, and with that has experienced several minor changes to daily operations. Through all of that, the prices have remained reasonable and the quality of product has been consistent. The staff (new and old) have always been friendly, hardworking and attentive and a big part of why we keep coming back everyday. A recent positive change is the addition of blended drinks to the menu, which were previously unavailable, and the presence of small pop up shops instore, which is a nice way to contribute to the "shop local" vibe in the neighborhood. A recent change that is NOT appreciated is the decision to stop stocking fresh baked goods from a high quality bakery and instead to offer what is obviously Costco bakery items to patrons instead. Another area we feel the owners have begun to lack is staff scheduling. When we first started coming to Vintage, there were always 2 or more staff members working, and up to 4 during busy periods. This meant a nice quick in-and-out for patrons on their way to work or over lunch. The last year or more the owners have only had one barista working most of the time, including busy periods like morning and lunch rushes. Despite the staff always hustling to serve each customer in a timely fashion, the number of customers requiring attention is quite high during warmer months (lots of families stop by on walks) and especially on the morning commute time frame. The amount of times we have had to leave the line to ensure we got to work on time, or have witnessed others do the same because this shop is understaffed during rushes is crazy. Most people who leave end up down the road at Kosa or Pocket where morning line ups don't seem to get as crazy (but the coffee isnt as good). The lost revenue from those lost sales alone would probably add up to near what youd have to pay another part time staff member to work rush periods. Not to mention that the stress and strain on the lone barista is probably in large part what contributes to high staff turnover. I love this shop, and really don't want it to fail - its a large part of what makes our neighborhood special. So I truly hope the owners can hear these suggestions from regulars and take them to heart, and implement some simple changes to address the concerns. EDIT TO ADD: The hours! Why close so early? Our family loves to take a walk after supper and grab a coffee. A 7 or 8pm close time would be great, and based on how busy Kung Fu Tea is around that time I'd imagine theire would be...

NEW OWNERS & VEGAN/PLANT-BASED ONLY I used to frequent Vintage Caffeine regularly, enjoying their coffee latte during my daily walks. However, my recent visit left me disappointed and feeling unwelcome.

Under new ownership, I discovered that the coffee shop has transitioned to exclusively offering vegan/plant-based options, which unfortunately doesn't align with my dietary needs. Despite this significant change, there was no clear communication about the shift in offerings on their brick mortar signage, website, or social media platforms.

When I inquired about the availability of cow's milk during my recent visit, the owner's response was less than accommodating. Instead of a simple yes or no, I was met with an almost dismissive attitude and an attempt to steer me towards oat milk, which I can't consume. Additionally, the conversation veered into a discussion about my dietary requirements, during which the owner's demeanour turned somewhat judgmental and condescending.

As someone who has strict dietary restrictions due to health reasons, I was taken aback by the lack of understanding and professionalism displayed during this interaction. It appeared there was a biased perspective on dietary choices/needs.

The new owners should prioritize clear communication about their strictly vegan/plant-based menu, whether through signage at the storefront, menus, or online platforms. This is considered good business practice and would help customers understand the nature of their offerings. Such transparency would enable customers to make informed decisions based on their dietary preferences or restrictions and ultimately could have prevented the need for...

Update: I have learned that my previous barista was new and still training, so this is not indicative of their typical service. I visited again May 17th and the results were much improved, the barista knew what she was doing and service was great. There's still a couple of things that keep me from recommending over my favourite Cafe's, but Vintage is much better than the majority of larger chains. One thing that I didn't love was the size of cappuccino, which has a lot more milk in it than I'd prefer and is frothy on top; I'd rather have less milk with a uniformly dense texture (similar to how baristas are judged at competition). The lack of plugs in the restaurant also made it difficult to work on a dead laptop since there is only one table that has access to power (aside from the one right by the espresso machine). Overall I still love the location and ambience and this is the best option for a wide radius. The owner is also really interested in feedback and I know that Vintage will keep getting better and better!

Atmosphere and decor were nice, but I am here for coffee which was really underwhelming. I am admittedly an espresso snob, but I was expecting quality on par with Analog, P&S, or Monogram. They serve Phil & Sebastian coffee, but the barista seemed unskilled. The espresso was pretty thin and the cappuccino was poor; the milk was just like Starbucks, over-stretched and extremely hot. This ruined the texture and taste for me, and unless their latte's are much better, I would not come here for milk based drinks. I might come back to see if my barista was in training, but if it's all like this then I'll...