Greenhouse Coffee Company — Restaurant in Arroyo Grande

First impressions, second chances, and third times the charm, right? Well, that's the philosophy I adopted when I stumbled upon the Greenhouse Coffee Company in our bustling little town of Arroyo Grande.

Coffee is practically a religion around here, so new coffee shops pop up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. And guess what? The Greenhouse Coffee Company decided to join the caffeinated party!

Entering this place is like stepping into a Pinterest board—beautifuly decorated and sparkling clean. It's got that cool ambiance where you can either chat with friends, focus on studying, or simply chillax and contemplate life. I mean, they even play music (sometimes a tad loud, but hey, it's not a rock concert).

Now, when they first opened shop, they were renovating their kitchen, and they kept saying, "Hey, we'll have delicious food soon, just hold your caffeine cravings for a bit." And I was like, "Sure thing, folks. I can be patient... sometimes." And yes, they eventually did roll out some food options, and I remember thinking, "I'll definitely give this place a second chance and stuff my face with a sandwich next time."

So, fast forward to today—July 31, 2023, 1 pm. Yours truly and a buddy strolled in. The place wasn't exactly bustling; in fact, it was as calm as a sloth on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Two employees were behind the counter, twiddling their thumbs, and there was no queue in sight. We got all hopeful and asked about their food offerings.

Now, get this: The guy at the counter gave us a "we-have-limited-food-options" spiel. I looked at him like, "Come on, buddy, spill the beans—literally!" But he just seemed impatient and muttered something about lacking staff. I thought, "Hold up! There's no line, and you've got all the time in the world to make a masterpiece sandwich!"

At that point, I was torn between handing him a motivational quote about seizing opportunities or a "Employee of the Month" certificate from another coffee joint nearby. We went with option two, aka leaving.

We made our way to the neighboring coffee shop, which surprisingly had only one employee, but they whipped up our food and coffee with a smile and some serious caffeinated flair. So, yeah, it can be done, Greenhouse Coffee Company!

Now, I'm no coffee shop consultant, but here's a little free advice to the owners and managers: That swanky remodel and those fancy upgrades to serve food ain't cheap, right? So, why let that go to waste? I understand constraints, but plain laziness isn't a menu item. Just saying!

Anyway, the world is full of choices, and the coffee scene in Arroyo Grande is no exception. I'm writing this review with hope that the folks running the Greenhouse Coffee Company will wake up and smell the espresso beans! It could be a training thing or just a temporary hiccup, so here's to giving you one, two, or maybe even three chances... just like sunrises, they won't wait forever!

"Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them." -...

since Starbucks and other franchise joints got rid of their "comfortable seating" during the covidopocalypse I have been looking for a relaxing place to do my work. Cafe Andreini in old town AG, though extremely crowed, long lines, high priced, lack luster service and often even running out of coffee (!!!) at least it had a few comfortable seats, even if I did have to get konked on the head with the owners political leanings bannered around the walls before I could order a cup.

I was pleasantly supprised by Greenhouse Coffee, it was a bit crowded but had plenty of open spaces with room to walk without needing to turn sideways not to bump into people's chairs. Seemingly there is an outlet for every two chairs to plug in your devices. There were three couches and plenty of cusioned chairs for an old gent with a creeky spine to select from, and a whole room seemingly dedicated to work nomads such as myself.

They had no dark roast on tap, no sugar shaker, staff had to pour the half n half, and 20 bucks for a cup of coffee and an avocado toast was a bit insane, but there was no line (at 10 am) and the staff were quick and helpful.

I will definately be coming back (though I'll bring a $1.00 coffee cake from 7-11 with me next time)

my only big suggestion to the owner... put dark tint or a big shade on the huge front window facing Grand ave, about 1/3 of the resturant was bathed in hot sunlight and nobody wanted to sit in that section...

VEGAN OPTIONS! This is a cute coffee shop that is easy to spot driving down the road. I got a matcha with oat milk, it was mainly milky not as much matcha-ness as I would like. I would give my drink a 2/5. My boyfriend got a matcha and that was better, we give it a 4/5. On the menu it seems there is a vegan food options, they offer a variety of toasts. The workers all seemed kind of miserable which made the vibe not as good as it could be! Maybe they were all having a bad day. I saw one person smile at me when I went up to the counter to get my drinks but besides that the service was mid-tier. Friendliness goes a long way! The atmosphere is great and the furniture and decor is all 10/10! It’s very open and airy and the music is at a perfect background volume. The furniture is comfy and it’s a nice quiet spot to study or work. I’d love to come back! I’d recommend making the matcha more matcha and less milky...