Cafè Calabria — Restaurant in Vancouver

I walked through the already open door and and approached the till. I stepped to the right and took a look at the menu of sandwiches above. It reminded me of Italy. I asked the man behind the counter his favourite and he recommended the most popular--the Franks Special--and I proceeded to order one Franks and one Mortadella. It was a sunny day and I felt good.

I turned to the till to pay and everything went downhill from here.

After I pulled out my card, the clerk--presumaby Frank himself--told me "no card only cash". I responded, "Sorry I didn't realize". He turned and pointed.

There was a sign behind him, literally obstructed by his body, and even more shrouded by glassware placed in front. He was right, it said Cash Only, but how could I see this?

I was taken by surprise, and I told him I only had a card. He repeated that it was Cash Only! I asked what he wanted me to do. In a normal scenario I would just say I dont have cash and exit but I knew that sandwiches were being made and I didnt want them to go to waste.

He told me, "ATM, 3 Doors" instructing me to take out cash. I expressed that I would prefer to avoid a service charge and I wasn't sure about what to do. He told me "You ordered already" insisting that I have no choice and insinuating that I would be a thief to exit.

I will admit that this triggered me. I suggested fairly loudly that the sign should be at the checkout or on the door rather then behind him and covered by glass. He didn't care. For him, there was a sign. I told him I'd be back in 5 minutes.

I returned and offered payment pointing out that I was charged a service fee just hoping that he would see that my hesitation wasnt out of thievery but out of a reluctance to spend more. He didnt care.

On top of this, I was told by the man in the back that he cancelled the sandwiches. He didnt hear the entire dialogue but he heard my raised voice, assumed me as a problem, and cancelled the order for my presumed attitude. He only heard the part about the service charge, not the disrespect and glare experienced.

I tried to explain but this didnt help as my impassioned tone came off as arrogance. He pointed out the other Cash Only signs which I 'frankly' did not notice--they were at the sandwich booth and ice cream parlor, not the till.

He spoke reasonably and things settled. My sandwiches were made, very tasty no doubt, but it was clear that my experience and customer feedback was beyond dismissed.

The respectful man I spoke with didnt really care, and the disrespectful owner was shrugged off for being an OG, as if this was justification for his sharpness and...

I have had coffee at a lot of coffee shops in the world and I have to say this place has one of the tastiest coffee ever!!! I bought a bag of their coffee the other day thats how much I like it but it still tastes better when they brew it. There is creme' on their coffee when it's black that has an amazing taste and the coffee leaves such a good taste in your mouth😍 This is a family run business for years that puts a lot of love into their coffee and food! They also sell ice cream, hot chocolate for the kids or? Of course lattes, etc Their sandwiches are amazing ! They make them with a large bread about 8 or 9 inches in diameter that they cut in half and then stuff it with a lot of tasty meats and cheeses, lettuce, tomato, eggplant, onions etc. That half of bread sandwich is big. The Frank's special is a favourite and they weren't kidding😊👌that's the one I'm eating in the picture, cappocolo, cheese, eggplant, lettuce,tomato, I think some onion and more cappocola then a medium pizza. So, if you just want a coffee and some Italian desserts or a very big sandwich for breakfast yes breakfast their that good ! Trust me the sons Vince and his brothers Nick and Frank make the best sandwiches. If you go in the morning you might meet the father who also makes coffee and he is a very friendly soul. As a kid growing up close to the drive otherwise known as little Italy this place is timeless and reminds me of my childhood and teenage days that made the drive have its great atmosphere. You feel like your in Italy. Sit and enjoy what a real coffee shop is like. You will not find people occupying lots of tables on their laptops like a library, maybe a few people on their cellphones🤔. Its a coffee shop you won't forget! Check this place out you won't be disappointed 😊👌♥️ Ps....

I found myself at this cafe because the initial browse of reviews lead me to it. Inside I looked at the cafe coffee selection and I simply ordered a cappuccino. I scanned the cafe and there were more people than I thought and it was relatively dimmed of sound. The gentleman who served me made me the cappuccino in a timely manner and gave me the price I owed ($6 exact) but I didn’t realize it was cash only. He gently slid me the cup and insisted politely that I sit down and enjoy the cafe and worry about my cash payment later on. He was so polite and nice about it as I thanked him kindly. I enjoyed the quality of the cappuccino as I did some work on my phone inside and managed to wait for a family member who I knew had cash. We tipped the gentleman well and because of my extremely positive experience really wanted to write this review so others can visit and enjoy this cafe like I did and by the looks of others dining in and coming and going casual and regulars had come and gone as I noticed their good experiences a little as well. He is more than deserving of this review and provides a service others should enjoy. Local businesses like this one (that especially has been around for a long time) deserve extra credit and business to succeed as it has been. Thank you who ever helped me today in a simple experience of “just getting coffee” in my waiting for a family member. I wish I got your name to give better credit too! Recommend this Cafe for a stop. The shop always seemed so personable and welcoming to all no matter how quick or long the visits last. Customer service...