Unacceptable and Disgusting Behaviour from Scootercaffe Staff
Iâve lived locally and supported Scootercaffe on Lower Marsh for over six years. Itâs been part of my routine, a spot I chose to support. That ends now.
On Wednesday, 19th June at 1:28 PM, I came in for a drink and something to eat. I was polite, calm, and friendly. I asked what paninis were available. The woman behind the bar (approximately 5â7â, mid-20s, mixed heritage) replied rudely: âWe donât sell paninis.â
Her tone was aggressive, dismissive, and needlessly sharp. I said I thought they served food, and she snapped again, saying they only serve toasties. Her tone was even more unpleasant. No effort to help, no professionalism, no basic courtesy. Just attitude.
Still, I placed an order and sat down. I waited 25 minutes with no food and no communication. I returned to the bar and spoke to another staff member (a man, approximately 5â9â, mid-30s, white, Scottish accent) who said: âMy colleague forgot to put your order through.â
No apology. No explanation. Just cold indifference. I waited another 15 minutes. Still nothing. I had now waited 37 minutes. I calmly asked for a refund.
He responded: âWe donât give refunds.â
That is false. I own and run multiple businesses, including cashless venues. I know how systems work. After a back-and-forth, he reluctantly refunded me using coins from the tip jar. One-pound and 50p coins, handed over with no apology.
Moments later, the toastie appeared, brought by the same woman. Not to my table. No apology. Just shoved into my hands at the bar like I was a problem. I said I no longer wanted the food and was leaving.
As I walked out, I calmly said Iâd be leaving a review. The man laughed and said: âLooking forward to it.â
Both staff laughed as I left. This wasnât just unprofessional. It was humiliating. I was mocked for daring to speak up after waiting nearly 40 minutes and being treated with open contempt. The energy was juvenile, passive-aggressive, and bullying.
This Review Is to Hold Them Accountable
This isnât about a wrong order. Itâs about how people are treated. I run businesses and lead teams. I understand pressure. This wasnât pressure. This was contempt. Mocking a customer, refusing to apologise, and showing no responsibility is disgraceful.
I didnât stay quiet. I spoke with staff at neighbouring businesses, including Greensmiths Deli, and was told this wasnât the first time someone had flagged rudeness at Scooter CafĂ©.
I also have a social media following of 1.5 million. If needed, I can share this more broadly. I take hospitality seriously, and I wonât stay silent when customers are mocked for holding staff to a basic standard of respect.
To the Owners
This is your team. They represent your name. If this is how you let staff treat paying customers, laughing at them, insulting them, embarrassing them, then you are complicit. These werenât just bad attitudes. They were disgracefully rude, and thereâs no excuse.
Why I Included Descriptions
The staff descriptions are to help others identify them. If your experience is anything like mine, you deserve to know in advance. These people should not be in customer-facing roles.
Final Word
Scootercaffe may look charming, but charm means nothing when customers are treated with bullying behaviour. I strongly advise spending your money elsewhere. There are many independent cafés nearby where people are treated with dignity and respect.
This review is not just a warning. It is a record of how some businesses fail at the most basic level: treating people like...
   Read moreI will never return to the Scooter bar, after receiving the most shocking costumer service. At some point it was one of my favourite bars, a nice place to hang out, with a relaxed atmosphere, decent coffee and pleasant staff. Since I moved to the area I've been a regular costumer, and introduced it to many friends who'd come visit; even they always had a good impression.
I'm always keen to contribute to smaller businesses instead of big coffee chains. I'd pass by numerous Prets, Nero and Costa before reaching the Scooter Bar, it's not exactly on my door step but I didn't mind the walk, despite my disability.
Normally I'd give it high rating, but this was until my last visit a few of days ago, when I received the most appalling service i experienced in London. The bartender was so rude I could not believe it was actually happening.
That Saturday afternoon I brought a couple of friends, as I was ordering the drinks the bartender started behaving impatiently, rushing me to telling her if I wanted to order food as well, while my friend was still choosing what cake he wanted, (which was only a matter of seconds). Even though the bar was quiet, she was giving very obvious signs of being irritated, rolling her eyes and staring. Her attitude was completely unnecessary and made me feel very uncomfortable. Finally, when it got to the point of settling my bill, I kindly asked how much I owed, (careful not to aggravate an already very uncomfortable situation that she created), and instead of speaking up clearly she kept mumbling to herself and avoiding eye contact, making it difficult for me to understand. I wasn't wearing my hearing aids so I politely asked again, and at that point she repeated by speaking in slow motion and extra loudly, in a very patronising way. That behaviour was totally disrespectful and out of order. I was so upset by that I just wanted to leave. I was with friends and didn't want that to spoil my time with them, but it totally did. I was deliberately offended and bluntly discriminated. This simply should not happen.
If the management team happens to read this, you should seriously consider to revise your recruitment system and interview process in order to avoid employing people like that. I will definitely no longer be...
   Read moreThis is a little place tucked away behind Waterloo Station. Upon first glance, it looks more like a little coffee shop where you can spend hours reading a book or writing your memoirs. And during the day, I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly what it is.
As night falls, it changes into a kitschy little bar with a full range of alcohols although I'd wager this is more for standard cocktails than any novel or innovative drinks due to the limited number of liqueurs and mixers. However, the drinks they do serve are impeccably made as evidenced by the very clean and crisp gin & tonics my friends ordered.
I took a slightly different tack and ordered a double Laphroaig 10 year old whiskey neat. To my delight, and possibly the dismay of others, the smoky peaty smell spread over the whole bar hinting at a fresh bottle properly stored.
Décor wise, it kind of looks like someone raided a storage locker clear out sale with items that are most likely described as "salvaged" or "reclaimed". It's not my style and thus unlikely that I would opt to come back (I prefer clean lines, stone, metal, and glass in my bars) but my sister loved it. Each to their own I suppose.
Prices are very reasonable sot that is a draw but be warned - there is space for maybe 12-15 people to sit and very little standing room. So while good for meeting a friend or two, any medium to large group is going to be sorely disappointed. An interesting stop on our way to Cubana and probably best...
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