Bennu Coffee Highland — Restaurant in Austin

Being in Austin since the '90s it's interesting how the economy and customer service have unraveled especially on a local business level. I asked a guy for a cate au lait, hot, to go. Two. Then he says nicely that their stuff is all one temperature but then nicely whenever to get their drip coffee to see if I thought the temperature was okay. He poured a splash in paper cup and it was cold not even room temperature so I'm obviously confused at this point. I told him it's not even room temperature and pretty much cold. He was surprised because I guess he's dumb and he doesn't understand putting a splash of hot coffee in a cool cup instantly makes the coffee cold. He says there's steam and when he pours the coffee there's absolutely steam from the coffee, doing it again, but now in a mug about halfway full. Absolutely see the steam too. He's even brings it over I'm assuming for me to test the temperature and I hold out my hand, and he says no this is for me. So now I'm even more confused because he went over there to get it for me to see the temperature. I told him coffees are too (in general) expensive for it not to be hot. I wasn't getting aggro with him he wasn't getting aggro at me but loads of this attitude and also the elephant in the room, this guy's playing a dumb dumb game because he's made a decision at this work spot that he will not make anything hotter (at a business that predominantly serves hot liquids) or acting like he doesn't have the ability to make anything hotter at a coffee house with $20,000 of gear that only make liquid hotter. Sort of same old same old local businesses want you to offset their payroll by tipping but then you have to argue with somebody and they're obviously not trying to understand what you want, they're too busy sticking up for their own independen, and making sure that the customer knows they're wrong about how they're interacting with your business, which as a business owner,...

This is a coffee shop I have religiously gone to for the past 2 years for late night study sessions. Every time, I have ordered the same cold brew to get me through these study sessions. I am giving this coffee shop 2.5 stars for the following reasons:

Unlike most coffee shops here in Austin, they limit your wifi to 3 hours per purchase. Starbucks, Merit, and Epoch has free wifi but Bennu is the only one that does this.

I have ordered the same cold brew most times I come to Bennu. This visit, however, the cold brew turned out incredibly bitter. It is understandable that there are days when the coffee just turns out bad, but I wanted to mention it to the Baristas so that they can make a change before serving it to other customers. One of the Baristas told me that it is usually bitter, but I have had this cold brew for a long time. So, unless I have been having the wrong cold brew for the past 2 years, I feel like I can tell what is and isn't correct (I was also a Barista before so I know what cold brews should taste like). I suggested the Barista to try the cold brew herself to see how bitter it was, but she just gave me the side eye. The other Barista was nice enough to offer me a free drink but I was just trying to do them a favor so that other customers who will order cold brew don't have the same experience that I did. I felt like I wasn't taken seriously even though I felt like I was being kind without offending anyone.

Overall, my 2 years in Bennu has been a blast but I hope Bennu can take their customer concerns seriously and not just throwing in a free drink to make things alright. Also, stop the...

Love the coffee, especially the mochas. However, I've always found it odd that they're so stringent about their wi-fi (you have to purchase something to get a code for 3hrs of use), yet allow unhoused individuals to sleep on their couches and benches without patronizing the establishment. Some evenings it's so crowded you can't find a space near an outlet, so it's really strange that they allow this practice. When you quietly inform the employees, you're told that "they're customers too," despite them not actually purchasing anything. I get it, this is Austin, and there are a number of people who are in unfortunate situations. Let them use the bathroom, give them something to eat, hand them a card with local resources that can help them... cool. But when your actual paying customers aren't comfortable sitting on the couch to work because someone walked in off the street, put their dirty feet up on the couch, threw a coat over their head, and has been periodically eyeing your purse, it may be time for a new policy. If the owners want to turn the coffeeshop into an after-hours shelter, that's their prerogative... but charging for wi-fi on one hand and letting people sleep in spaces meant for paying customers on the other is a little hypocritical. I see another review from a few years ago saying as much, so I doubt this will change any time soon. Pity, because otherwise it would be a...