Coffee#1 Clifton Down — Restaurant in Bristol

20 years ago as a young spring chicken attending university in Bristol, I was a daily frequenter of Clifton village’s Coffee #1. This was my happy place, the coffee was the best I have ever tasted and for six years my daily visits became as habitual as brushing my teeth.

There were few other branches in those days. I remember approaching the owner in my naive but fierce entrepreneurial nature, and asked him if I could help grow his business. No he said, he wanted to keep it a sacred, boutique brand that built a loyal following.

20 years later I return to Bristol having lived in Asia for all those years. My number one priority when I return is to visit my favourite #1. It had remained unchanged — cosy, intimate, the coffee still the best I have ever had despite visiting 100s across the world in the past 20 years. But then, I started to notice over the following weeks, that Coffee #1 had spread itself across Bristol like a coffee-plague. Overtaking the monopolies of Costa, Starbucks et al. It was quite phenomenal. Fair play I thought. Good for you — can’t remember the owners name.

Having been a vice president in branding, marketing, customer experience and business planning in various corporates over the past 20 years, I was eager to inspect the integrity of this brand that had proliferated so rapidly: was the quality of coffee the same? Was the froth of the same consistency? Were the staff helpful and friendly? Was the cardinal tenets of that lovely Coffee #1 in Clifton village, a blueprint of all the other branches around Bristol. Much to my surprise, and sadness, no.

What I have found; — A brand that lacks integrity. All of the hallmarks of an authentic brand possess uniformity in whichever way they present themselves; they conform to brand values, the brand promise it will deliver to its customers. And to all intents and purposes, when a brand has a public facing, high street presence, customers expect the same experience in every branch they visit. After all, it’s because they have become brand loyal that they will drive an extra 2 miles just to get their favourite coffee, turning up their noses as they pass Nero and Costa on the way. — The cosy ness and intimacy of his first shop has been betrayed. The owner has betrayed what was once a coffee shop experience unlike any other. Why? Presumably all in the name of profit, squeezing the variables that all business owners have the opportunity to reduce — price and therefore quality of produce, staff wages, and the volume of staff behind the coffee machine as well as on the floor, clearing tables etc. — these “squeezing of costs” are evident. Folks that have barely passed puberty are standing behind the till, or making coffee. Their opening gambit is not a friendly, heartwarming “hey, how are you? What can I get for you today”, but instead an absent, vacant look as they wait for you to put forth your order. “You want it in or takeaway?”, In please I say, then they point at the card machine. What, on earth, has happened to this once intimate, friendly, heart-warming brand? — there are no identifiable, visible indicators that this is a coffee #1 shop, only that it says so on the window. Were it not to, I could be going into any coffee shop. — if refer here to the shop on Whiteladies next to Clifton Down. I cannot remember seeing toilets so filthy. Despite living in poverty, mother Theresa would turn in her grave if she had to visit one of the toilets. I suspect along with myself, she would pivot on her heel and employ the painstaking withholding of the desperate ‘need to go’. They are filthy, the bathrooms, interminably, every.single.time I go to this coffee shop. I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy to enter one of them, lest they catch some viral or bacterial infection owing to the volume of #1’s and #2’s ever present, unclean, the lack of toilet rolls, the filth on the floor, the tiles, the stench. It’s unforgivable. — I’ll continue in my next post — “character limit has...

Basic description: A cosy coffee cafe, serving a tea, coffee and cakes. Traditional interior design, but plugs available.

Personal experience: Staff are friendly and attentive. As you walk in its warm, the menu font is a nice large size, you won't have to squint your eyes. They have a good variety of teas and coffee. The prices are as much, if not cheaper than the more international chains. The fair trade sourced tastes delicious. They have wooden furniture with leather upholstered seating and specific spot with and without plug for people who want to work on laptops and for those who want to avoid them. There is also facts on chalkboard around the cafe about the local area. They also provide a good choice of temptingly sweet cakes slices and squares, with some suitable for alternative dietary restrictions.

Overall: Friendly, warm, good variety of warm, cold drinks and cakes. Accommodating and comfortable interior with a sense of community to the atmosphere. With sensible prices and public restrooms and...

I stopped by with my partner for coffee and cake. The coffee was fine, but the cake was dry as anything. The staff serving me came across blunt and borderline rude, but it was obvious they were just completely overworked and nothing personal.

From the moment we walked in, every “free” table was covered in dirty dishes. Customers, myself included, were clearing tables just to sit down.

When I got my order, my cup and fork were sticky all over, which I can only assume was leftover syrup. Not exactly appealing.

To be clear, I don’t blame the staff. Every time I saw them they were running back and forth, clearly stretched thin. They didn’t have a chance to catch their breath, let alone clear tables and give good service.

It was clear to me the staff were doing their best, but they were overwhelmed. I hope management reconsiders how this café is run, because it’s not fair on staff...