cowdog (oak - take out only) — Restaurant in Vancouver

I was genuinely excited to try Cowdog because the concept seemed cool and the drinks looked great online. But after seeing how the owners handle even mildly critical feedback, I’m genuinely turned off.

A customer respectfully pointed out that nearly $10 for a 12oz drink felt steep, and instead of receiving the feedback with professionalism, the owner responded with a passive-aggressive lecture. Yes, using high-quality ingredients (although paying for oat milk I'm not substituting for as a cow's milk drinker is wild) and paying staff fairly is commendable, but weaponizing that info to shut down a customer’s opinion isn’t a good look. The tone came off like the customer should be grateful to even be allowed to buy the drink from this glamorous cafe.

And for the record, it’s completely valid to leave a bad review if a customer feels their experience didn’t meet their standards, even if it’s a small business. Supporting local doesn’t mean you have to ignore overpriced products. What’s not okay is a business publicly hunting down the reviewer, tagging them in a passive-aggressive Instagram caption, and turning it into a spectacle. That kind of behavior is unprofessional, immature, and frankly, unhinged. Honest reviews should be welcomed.

And somehow, their followers eat it up. Instantly jumping to defend the owner, as if questioning a $10 drink is a personal attack. The whole thing gives off a bit of a cult-like vibe.

Like the owner said in the instagram caption, it's not that deep 🩷 Take the criticism like a professional and move on. Just in case the owner tries to hunt me down as well, I'm a minor, and I can more than afford your luxury drink. Some of my personal recommendations for strawberry matcha (literally just homemade syrup and ceremonial grade matcha which is the industry standard for small cafes) are Cafe Algan and Little Pisces! Great drinks, treats, and owners to support.

Edit:

Thanks for the response, but I think you’re still missing the point. People aren’t leaving one-star reviews just because they can't read the price, they’re leaving one-star reviews because the drink didn’t live up to the standards that the price suggests. Yes, $9 is posted clearly, but that doesn’t mean the value automatically matches the cost. Small drink, mid flavour for the cost. That's a totally valid reason to leave a low rating. I doubt people would have an issue if this drink was the best thing ever and they can justify the price. The non-issue you suggest is literally what customers think of your drink at that price point. That’s literally what reviews are for: sharing personal experiences and opinions.

Also, publicly tagging reviewers on Instagram and putting them on blast is still unprofessional. Businesses can stand up for themselves without making it personal or petty! How can you expect customers to respect you if you post like that on your socials? There are so many classier ways to address this from your business's POV, rather than stooping so low even if it's only reciprocating their energy. I've followed and respected Cowdog's journey online for over a year, so this is...

I tried the strawberry matcha, hojicha, and the regular matcha latte! As a big matcha fan that has tried severalll places from high to lower end, I found this to be disappointing especially for the price. While I understand the price is higher considering the quality of ingredients, especially amid a matcha shortage, and the liveable wages for employees (love that business model!), I've simply had better for cheaper from local cafes that also pay their staff well (paragon, cafe mira, nanas etc.). It was honestly to the point that, if I hadn't taken the drink to go, I would've asked the barista for a new one. It lacked the technique that I would expect from a cafe that is primarily known for this drink, especially given the social media hype and aggressively confident attitude of the owner on TikTok. I was hoping that self-confidence was grounded in a sincere dedication to the craft. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt that it was just a fluke, but when all 3 of my friends had poorly made watery drinks at that price range, its hard to be so forgiving.

If the owner sees this, please understand that feedback isn't an attempt to hate. You should take example from blogilates, who respects customer's taste and needs and turns feedback into ways to improve your branding and product. With how you are responding to feedback, it contradicts the positive environment you are trying to create and makes people feel unwelcome in the Vancouver CommuniTEA.

Anyways, I really do hope this place takes the feedback for improvement! I would love to continue supporting the Vancouver matcha communiTEA and supporting...

Cowdog is a nice, cozy cafe in one of the quietest neighborhoods in Vancouver. I love how their menu looks. Instead of using names like flat white, latte, or cappuccino (with that never ending discussion over their differences), they simply list espresso + 2/4/6/8 oz of milk. I got the espresso + 4 oz of water (aka Americano/long black/Canadiano whatever!). The coffee was sweet and balanced but a bit weak. I think I should’ve ordered it with less water since it was a light roast Ethiopian.

I have no idea what Hojicha should taste like, but the Hojicha cookie was fresh and delicious (a bit on the sweet side for me, but still delicious).

I see that they are sometimes criticized for being overpriced, but I don’t think they are. The double espresso price is on par with the cheapest cafes in Vancouver. The milk drinks might seem a tad more expensive than some cafes if you're a regular milk drinker, but if you prefer oat milk, they’re not at all (since they don’t charge extra for oat milk)

I also love their no-tip and living-wage policy. I definitely prefer to pay a bit more when I know the staff are fairly paid, rather than tipping separately. (If you are a tip skipper, please don’t! Minimum wage is not fair at all for someone working in a specialty cafe.)

I think the glassware they use are from notNeutral brand which are not cheap at all (Be careful not to break them!) These things might look minor but they show that the business owners care about what they are doing.

Overall, I loved my experience at Cowdog and would definitely go back, even though I...