Coffee Corner — Restaurant in Newport

I had bought a drink and spent several hours at the establishment on my laptop ( as other customers did) without making any noise or disruptions. I returned the next day and within 5 minutes of arriving I was abruptly asked to leave by the owner. When I asked why, he said I hadn't purchased enough beverages the day before to warrant my stay, despite there being ample empty tables available. Even though I had never heard of such a thing, I was sympathetic and offered to buy drinks every so often this time around but I was met with hostility, blatant refusal and told he just did not want me there.

What truly escalated the situation was the owner's threat to involve law enforcement. When I questioned the grounds for such drastic action, his response was that I was taking up a table another customer could use. I explained how I was also a customer like everyone else, I wasn't disturbing anyone and lots of empty tables.

I have never experienced such a thing in ANY public establishment before, leading me to suspect it was racial discrimination. I don't like to throw around such serious accusations but the reasoning the owner gave for asking me leave while allowing other customers who were doing the exact same thing to stay seems to be the only explanations.

Of course, he did not actually call the police because I defended myself and he also knew he had no grounds, especially since I was not disturbing/violating his property in any way. However, I chose to leave to my aown accord because I never want to be somewhere where I am not welcome. Subsequent discussions with other local coffee shop owners confirmed my suspicions; there are no grounds or maximum time limits for customer stays, especially during non-peak hours.

This experience has left a sour taste in my mouth. I'm sure the atmosphere is fine for most but if you are a person of colour I urge others to think twice before visiting Coffee Corner

Response:

Seeing as the owner has admitted there was CCTV that recorded the whole conversation and setting I'm sure he'd be more than happy to show the coffee shop being 'busy'. Because like I mentioned while I was there, there were a number of empty tables. Saying I had been there for 30 minutes is completely untrue. And I'm sure your CCTV camera has a time stamp and can vouch for that. I had just sat down and plugged my laptop in. In addition, when I said I was happy to buy a drink the owner did not agree so I am unsure what he wanted me to do. It is clear he just did not want me to stay . It is also extremely unproffessional to apply this so called policy to certain customers and not all. I was not argumentative, I was defending my right to stay. I'm glad you've mentioened the recording because now I know there isi proof to everything i have...

Absolutely love coming here (naughtily so, straight after gym!) but it’s always a nice stop to cool down and catch my breath before leaving the centre.

Their iced coffees are really lovely, the hot chocolate is milky and frothy and the coffee tastes the same every time which is great!

It has a lovely homely feel to it, the decor is calming, the music playlist even makes you want to spend longer and have another cupa.

We’ve enjoyed sharing our treats which enables you to taste a bit more on the menu and be adventurous. The cakes are always tasty, fresh and melt-in-your-mouth. The only downside is that you can buy a whole cake of similar quality(not exactly the same) from the Supermarket, for the same price as one slice of cake. That makes me feel like it’s a bit extortionate, but alas, not much to do about it when rent drives prices up.

We’re a mixed couple and have never felt that we were treated differently from other customers, and we often see familiar faces and pets, so in all a nice pit...

I've based this review on my children's opinion on this place. They are the ones that always ask to go here, they love the milkshakes and red velvet cake. The ladies in there are very nice, always with a smile on the face, so good with kids. The manager or owner however, he needs to start being nicer to his staff, speak to them in a respectful tone and not chastise them in front of customers. When the manager isn't there the atmosphere is a happy relaxed one. When he's on the floor and stomping around the mood tangibly changes, the body language and looks on staff faces visible change. They still give excellent service, but it's something I find very concerning. As an adult I don't like it, and I have told him he shouldn't be rude to staff the way he is. Prices for a slice of cake ridiculously high too. But milkshakes, I haven't...