The Federal Store Luncheonette & Grocer — Restaurant in Vancouver

I hate to have to leave this bad review, but I had an absolutely ridiculous experience here today. I walked in around 2:50pm today and ordered a simple grilled cheese sandwich to go—something that should take all of two minutes to prepare. Instead, I stood there for well over ten minutes watching the employees behind the counter do everything except make my sandwich.

Mind you, it was not busy. There was no line. No rush. Just pure, unbothered dilly-dallying. One employee was just standing around, chatting away, while another (the cashier) was lazily drizzling oil on a random stack of sandwiches like they were painting the Sistine Chapel. Meanwhile, someone else in the back was casually slicing bread as if they had all the time in the world.

I stood there thinking: How long does it take to grab two slices of pre-sliced bread, throw some cheese between them, and put them on your press? There are three of you! Apparently, at this place, the answer is: Forever.

After waiting for over 10 minutes, I had no choice but to ask for a refund because I had places to be—namely, picking up my kids, which I was now at risk of being late for. And to top it all off? I had already tipped when I paid, and of course, that wasn’t refunded to me. So basically, I donated money to a place that couldn’t even be bothered to slap some cheese on bread in a timely manner.

To make matters worse, I noticed that the cashier did not wash her hands after handling cash and touching the payment terminal before turning around and starting food prep. That is disgusting and a serious health concern.

I will not be coming back...

Went there today based on all the reviews and the hype. We just got three different types of pastries and coffee, all of which were mediocre. It is a very cramped noisy space and the attitude of the servers are so so. I understand the high reviews. It is basically a hang out place for a very niche type of folks, who like to be with their own types ... only! So many better options are available for better coffee, pastries, food, ambiance, and service. We will go back to our current qualified options.

BTW, what is up with the 15%-20% tip when you get your own coffee and food and carry it to your own table and then clear your own table and take the stuff to the bussing-bins? This has to stop, for ALL of Vancouver. That is a lot of money for basically a "grocery store" type service. The customers should not be paying for the wages of the labor, and upfront as well, before any service is provided, and when there is NO service other than selling you goods. SOMEBODY, PLEASE ADDRESS THIS PARASITE that has come about since COVID and is...

I was just here today to pick up an online order of groceries. I really appreciate the measures they have put in place to help keep everyone safe during this scary time. I was very easily able to order online and my order was processed in 2 days. I felt very safe during my interaction with staff and the pick-up process was seamless. There was a line painted on the sidewalk to indicate where people needed to stand to properly social distance which was very clever. If you are thinking about visiting the Federal Store, I highly recommend ordering online beforehand (I'm not sure if you can do that with café drinks but you definitely can with groceries). If you go, please be respectful of the people waiting in line if you want to look at the menu behind the ordering counter. A woman walked up to view it when it wasn't her turn and it was making the 1st person in line have to stay back and keep their distance. The store employee politely asked if she could help the woman and pointed her to the back of the line. Stay...