Esquires Coffee Sudbury — Restaurant in Babergh

Let me start by saying that I think that some of the staff are doing a really good job and the environment is lovely. The drinks are fine.

What I anticipate might see the decline and demise of this store are as follows.

Food is very pricey. This is emphasised by the lack of prices on much of the produce on offer, so when it gets to the till you may be floored! Be clear about your pricing!

Added to this is it's not fresh to justify the pricing... I've overheard twice now that they have to defrost more pastries, muffins, etc.

On visiting last I heard 2 couples leave before ordering, commenting on how expensive it is.

The family that I assume to be the franchisees do seem to 'get in the way' much of the time. On my last visit 3 of the younger girls were in Esquires uniform and slouched and slummocked and grumpy looking across a table behind the counter. It was not a good look.

The toilets are still new and fresh but cleanliness is an issue. I've been in a couple of times over the last fortnight and noted a 'brown' deposit on a tile on the wall... will it get cleaned... will it not?

Steps need to be highlighted with tape... the place has multiple trip hazards and these are not highlighted in line with the Health and Safety Act.

It is a very slow service a lot of the time... you can go in and be only 1 of 3 customers and still wait quite some time for a simple order of coffee. On my last visit it was quite busy and It was reasonably quick. There's no logic to the way the staff work and again... I sometime notice that 'management' may be complicating matters.

All in all, I love the setting and the coffee so I would like it to succeed, but the food prices need to be reviewed and clearly marked up before I start to consider this anymore than a quick coffee stop.

Time will tell...

Shame it's dog friendly... but that's a personal thing 😄

UPDATE. No real changes to the above but now we have air conditioning on on cold October days! Unnecessary, environmental nightmare, freezing cold and adding to business overheads which could...

I have been coming here for a while since it opened and the atmosphere and surroundings are lovely.

I do feel for Lisa, who clearly works like a Trojan, but has to herd (some pretty slow) cats at times. I do believe the woman needs a pay rise regardless of her current salary!!!

The wait for a simple tea and coffee can be very lengthy at the best of times...

It is clear to me that this venue needs to streamline its offerings. The workspace required for cooked breakfasts, hot and cold lunches and simple drinks preparation cannot be limited to the pitiful workspace behind the counter. The staff are getting in each other's way and an accident is waiting to happen.

The confusion about whose orders are who's is embarrassing to watch, with staff wondering aimlessly around the cafe looking completely bewildered.

Today, the queues were the longest I have seen and several of us talked about how long we had waited... with 7 staff behind the counter!!

It is the nicest coffee shop in town... but the franchisees need to serious consider their operational management because the service needs to improve and health and safety factors must be addressed (I note another comment about trip hazards which is well made!) Food prices are pretty steep too!

This review could very easily become a 5...

This review is for the dining area right through the coffee shop to the back. Our table was set-up for a birthday gathering, complete with balloons, which was a lovely touch. Air conditioning gave it a slightly chill atmosphere (which some welcome), luckily I had a cardigan. The menu had a very good brunch/ lunch choice complete with pancakes option, eggs benedict/ florentine, fried breakfast etc. I have to say, the cappuccino was the best I'd had in ages, due to a good creamy foam and generous chocolate topping.

Whereas the older waitress was friendly and informative, the young girl was not. She may've been new or shy, but a smile would've made all the difference. Also, we had to wait a while for our food (which was explained) but my son-in-law whose birthday we were celebrating didn't get his meal until we were all finishing ours.

Esquires might've been short staffed that day, and others might have a different experience. I would return but it would probably be for...