Banner Coffee Company — Restaurant in Arroyo Grande

Just visited today for the first time because my usual coffee shop was closed due to rain. Easy to find location, wasn't hard to find parking on the street but I wish they had a parking lot. Didn't see any designated disabled parking either, and that could make it a bit challenging for some folks. Banner Coffee has a large, clean space with high ceilings that could look sterile if not for the collections of green plants. There were plenty of small tables for individuals and larger tables that would be perfect for groups, and a very comfortable couch! Nice place to hang out, and I forgot to check out their restrooms, I'm assuming they have some!

Along with the usual coffee drinks, they also had a limited bakery case holding traditional croissants, blueberry muffins, and out-of-this-world bacon & date scones. There was a small, difficult to see menu of breakfast items - I remember it had a breakfast taco, which I later saw being picked up by another patron and it looked amazing! I wish the breakfast menu was larger or easier to read, unfortunately I think many customers just won't see it at the current size and location.

The customer service was friendly and for the most part they were providing the drinks and food as quickly as possible.

There was just one thing I couldn't understand. After the customer placed their order and paid for it, usually the order was prepared and delivered to a pickup counter where the customer's name was shouted and then it was up to the customer to collect their refreshments. But there were other times when I saw an employee delivering the customer's order to their table, and I have no idea why. Yes, I know I could have asked but I wanted to speak to the staff about something else and it felt awkward when it wasn't something that took away from my enjoyment of the coffee shop.

I liked Banner Coffee. I have had better tasting coffee at other shops but I liked Banner Coffee's food, customer service, seating, location, and overall ambiance. Given the opportunity, I will...

Slow AF. Mainly due to them being extremely friendly to their existing regulars that they chat up at the counter for literally 5 minutes, while we're waiting behind them the whole time, before they place an order and keep the line moving and take our order. One person was taking orders and another being the barista and we ordered 2 iced lattes. 10 minutes later the line clears and the person taking orders finished making a drink and goes to chat with customers as the original barista goes to clean tables.

At that point no one was finishing our order and I go up to the counter and noticed only 1 of our lattes were done with the other cup empty. The original barista cleaning tables noticed me checking for the order and rushed back to finish it, which I appreciate her noticing and doing so. After finishing the order, our name wasn't called but I came back to the counter and asked if it was for so and so. But right as I was asking, an existing regular talks to the barista and takes her attention away from me, and I had to ask her again, which she finally confirms and continues talking to the regular without skipping a beat.

I'm not used to SLO culture, is this how it is? I don't sense the urgency and we felt non existent. In terms of the coffee, it was an bit bb bitter even after adding my own sweetener, usually does the trick but not for this coffee. I don't mean to post negative reviews but I felt...

I discovered Banner Coffee Company a few months ago through social media, and it has quickly become one of my absolute favorite coffee shops in SLO County. The space is modern, minimalist, and incredibly open—perfect for getting work done when I need a change of scenery from working from home.

What really sets Banner apart is their commitment to high-quality, single-origin coffee. They feature some of the best roasters I’ve seen in the area, including HEX (North Carolina) and Stereoscope (Los Angeles), both in their drinks and as whole beans for sale. Their team is always friendly, and every drink is crafted with great attention to detail—favorites so far include the Maple Butterscotch Latte, Stereoscope single-origin espresso (served beautifully with tonic water), and the Honey Cinnamon Latte. Everything I’ve tried has been exceptional, standing out from other coffee shops in the area.

Banner is a true gem on the Central Coast—energetic, modern, and serving up some of the best coffees around SLO county. I’ll definitely be coming back for...