San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company — Restaurant in Atlanta

Anand and I here at #AtlCoffeeScene have finally made the full circuit to all three branches of San Francisco Coffee Company - Ponce, Morningside, and Candler Park. We had such mixed reactions after going to the Candler Park and Ponce locations that we felt it would only be fair to go ahead and hit up the third location to be the decider. Here we will break it down the review down for you, location by location, to offer up a comprehensive view of this Atlanta Coffee Co.

Ponce: Located near the corner of N Highland and Ponce, this San Francisco branch has a pretty nice seat, and is walking distance from both the Highlands and Inman Park, as well as everything on Ponce itself. However, that's about the only good offered by this particular shop. Much like Aurora, the atmosphere here is one of "constant renovation." A bad assortment of chairs and tables, and a lack of upholstery and decor, makes for an uncomfortable location.

Candler Park: Seated on Dekalb Ave. it catches commuters in the morning and does a good job of getting people through the line and out the door fast. I appreciate this. That very detail is what converted me to Starbucks versus a local spot many years ago. Anyways, the cafe is large, comfortable, and clean, and the employees are nice and hard working. I came solo to study and as I sank into a big comfy chair (near a fireplace was it?) I instantly relaxed and got made some headway on a challenging reading. A dependable cafe is needed in that part of town so San Francisco in this location works well. Sure, across from Candler Park would have been cuter and maybe more popular, but there's already Dr. Bombay's, which as you already know is dominating in that area.

Morningside: We visited this location third, hoping to make it a tie-breaker. But the oddest thing happened. Jaclyn had described her Candler Park outing to me, and we were both still familiar with the Ponce location. This ended up being a right down the middle of both of those. We went on a Saturday morning, and it was CROWDED. Families were coming in from every direction, having just finished their morning walks. The main coffee machine was broken, so the drink selection was limited. But the pastries were good, the service was on par, and the general ambiance was cozy and...

BEWARE: DECEPTIVE, DECEITFUL, FRAUDULENT PRACTICE

CAUTION to customers of San Francisco Coffee Roasting Co: The 1lb bags of coffee that you think you are buying are really only 12oz. They do not state this on their website, on the bag or tell you in person when you ask for one/two/three (however many) pounds of coffee. Instead of being transparent and honest when you ask for a certain amount, they just grab their pre-filled bags which weigh 12 oz. They DO NOT tell you you are really paying far more per pound than you think you are paying. The have their advertised price but do not indicate that the price is for 12oz, not the full 16oz that is the industry standard, which is exactly why they are doing it, and how they are getting away with it. Nobody expects the bags to be filled with less than 1lb. You think you are paying $14/lb when you are really handing over $18/lb. They would rather fool and cheat their customers for extra income, than be a fair and honest organization. I wonder, how do the faithful long-time customers feel about being fooled and taken advantage in this way for so long? I wrote an email complaining to them and did not even receive a response. No shame. Slimy tactics, fraudulent practice! The icing on the top? Mediocre coffee. Why would anybody continue to go to this shop? There are better roasters/shops in the area who appreciate and value...

Owning my own eye care practice, customer service is paramount to the overall experience. In fact, my practice was built on it, and has thrived over the years because of it. I’m often surprised at the lack of customer svc and bad attitudes of the personnel in coffee shops, and wonder if it’s due to apathy, poor hiring practices or the manager’s disposition. In contrast, San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company is a rare gem, where without exception, the team is warm and friendly and make patrons feel at ease and at home. The experience is so consistent that I was compelled to pull aside and compliment the manager, Lisa, on the contrast here versus other coffee shop options. She’s intentional about who she hires and it’s obvious she only keeps those that are aligned with high customer service values on board. So far I’ve met John, Olivia, Kyle and others that have demonstrated excellence, and I couldn’t be happier I’ve found my spot to work, connect and sip delicious coffee and enjoy...