Five Lakes Coffee — Restaurant in Angola

My husband & I returned home from our honeymoon/birthday celebration last weekend. We received an incredibly unpleasant phone call upon our return from the District store manager of Five Lakes Coffee, whom we consider a friend. Unfortunately, he was told he had to handle this situation by the owners of Five Lakes Coffee. We were told Five Lakes Coffee is to no longer remake incorrect orders for me or my husband. I feel sad the distract manager was placed in that situation. Since our Five Lakes Coffee in Angola has been open, I have been a regular daily customer. With that being said, that means all stores and all employees are being told never to remake one of our drinks if it’s incorrect. This blew my mind considering this is absolutely a training issue! I was specifically told by management if a drink is wrong please bring it back so we the managers can correct the issue within our training. They said the last thing we would want is our customer leaving here unhappy and going and telling a friend about your bad experience at Five Lakes Coffee. They also said why not instead bring it back in and let us fix it for you. My husband pays $8.20 to have his specialty drink made incorrectly almost every time. I feel like if you’re paying $8.20 for your drink it should be made correctly. How can a drink made with hot shot espresso come out white and watered down daily? I always order iced tea and add peach smoothie flavoring. This has been done incorrectly as well. Sometimes, my iced tea is filled with nothing but coffee. Really?? I pay 4 dollars for that. Hmmm… Can you imagine going to a restaurant and ordering steak and they bring you a slab of chicken. Same theory! So, if you are a paying customer, you should not receive what you pay for at Five Lakes coffee? I know Covid was a game changer for many businesses. Five Lakes Coffee was no different, however I never turned my back on them because I knew the owners were good people. When other local coffee shops came in, I continued supporting them, every time I got a bad drink I did what I was told came back in and got it made correctly so I didn’t have to have a bad experience. I think it’s sad how they turned their back on us because they no longer can make the drinks they so easily use to. Even on the webpage they promote goodness. “A Family-Run Business with a Heart for Community. At Five Lakes Coffee, we’re more than just a coffee company – we’re a family. We believe in building strong connections within our community, supporting local causes, and fostering an environment where people can come together over a great cup of coffee.” Moving on… your drinks should be made correctly and not taste different daily. My entire family supports as many small local businesses that we can. We will no longer be supporting Five Lakes Coffee. Shame on you Paul and Jarred. Not even returning our phone call or speaking with us about what was going on before you turned your backs on us. Thank you, to their District manager for passing the information along to us from the owners. That could not have been an easy task. I wish you all the best as you have always been kind to me and my husband. I myself have always been generous to the employees at 5 Lakes Coffee and have enjoyed making many new friendships. These employees know who they are and they will be truly missed. This was not easy for me to write because as silly as it sounds, I feel heartbroken. I have spent hours getting to know my husband, attending our weekly premarital counseling, building forever friendships, celebrating special events, bringing in staff cupcakes/cheer when they need it, and so much more all with a purchased cup of Five Lakes Coffee while at Five Lakes. I have said what I needed to say and am thankful tomorrow is a new day. I pray something good comes from...

One Hot Late with Extra Cream & an Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

It was the kind of late afternoon where the sun baked the sidewalks and the air felt like thick syrup. The town was quiet, save for the hum of AC units and the occasional car trundling down Main Street. Inside a little café with flickering Edison bulbs and mismatched chairs, two drinks sat on the counter, waiting.

One hot latte with extra cream. One iced pumpkin spice latte.

They couldn’t have been more different.

The hot latte, strong and brooding, sat steaming in a thick ceramic mug, watching the world through fogged-up windows. “Classic,” he’d say, with the low confidence of someone who knew he didn’t need to change. He’d seen a lot over the years—early morning crammers, broken hearts, rain-soaked reunions. He was the kind of drink you called when you needed warmth, quiet strength, something steady.

The iced pumpkin spice latte, on the other hand, came in with clinks of ice and a cinnamon swirl. She was seasonal, yes—but she never thought of that as a limitation. She lit up the room. Trendy, sweet, and unapologetically herself, she brought smiles, Instagram photos, and sudden memories of fallen leaves and cosy sweaters, even in the sweltering heat of September.

They’d been placed side by side—ordered by two strangers, forgotten for a moment as the customers scrolled their phones or browsed the pastry case. And in that moment of stillness, they struck up a conversation.

“I bet you’re the favourite today,” said the hot latte, trying to sound indifferent.

“I might be,” the pumpkin spice latte replied with a wink, “but I won't be in a month. You, though? You’re eternal.”

He chuckled, steam rising gently from his surface. “Yeah. Eternal. That’s one way to say boring.”

She leaned in slightly, ice cubes clinking. “Reliable,” she corrected. “And that’s not nothing.”

Before he could respond, the barista called out—“One hot latte with extra cream! One iced pumpkin spice!”

Their time was up.

They were lifted into separate hands—one tired and calloused, the other manicured and eager. As they were carried away in opposite directions, the hot latte turned once more toward her.

“Same time tomorrow?”

The iced pumpkin spice latte smiled over her straw. “Only until the season ends.”

And just like that, they were gone—two drinks, two souls, brushing against each other in the fleeting space between sips...

Updated** New stuff: after a bad experience for both me and my husband I wrote a review. (See below my Chai was awful it had chunks of cinnamon powder ) anyway originally I gave them a 1 star rating. But we came back and tried other options and we both absolutely love the Blueberry Pomegranate smoothie!! That Islas incredible. It was so flavorful and the perfect amount of sweet without going overboard! Thanks Allen for having us give you guys another try! We are both looking forward to comming back!

Old stuff: Definitely the worst Chai latte I've ever had. Definitely not chai. It was pure cinnamon. Huge disappointment. My husband said the Mocha frape was bad too. He said it has an after taste that...