STARDUST Coffee House | Campbell — Restaurant in Campbell

UPDATED to respond to the owner

I want to start by saying my feedback wasn’t intended to come across as hostile. I did notice, though, that you didn’t mention your manager’s arrogant reaction—which I get, since you’d naturally back him up. All I did was point out something about the sales tax, and I think his response blew it out of proportion. That wasn’t my goal, and I’m honestly disappointed it turned into this.

Second, I had no desire to harm your business. As a fellow business owner, I find it unfair and inaccurate to suggest my 1-star review was an intentional attack. I was offering honest feedback based on my experience and understanding-something l'd hope any business would value, even if it stings. Accusing me of trying to hurt you feels like deflecting responsibility rather than addressing the issue.

I get the 80/80 rule -how it's about food sales and hot items triggering taxable status. But you're a new coffee shop. For that rule to apply, you'd need a solid track record of sales data showing over 80% food sales and 80% taxable hot or dine-in items. Unless you've already hit those thresholds in your short time open, it seems premature to assume it justifies taxing everything. I'm not a tax expert, but as a customer, it raised a question worth checking.

I'm not here to fight l'd. hoped my feedback could spark a look at this, not a blame game.

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As a fellow coffee business owner, I recently had a deeply frustrating experience at Stardust Coffee that left me feeling both disrespected and overcharged. I ordered a simple to-go latte, but when I reviewed the receipt, I noticed they had added sales tax to the total. According to California law, as outlined by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration in their official guidance for the dining and beverage industry, hot beverages like coffee sold to-go are explicitly exempt from sales tax. Sales tax should only be applied if I consume the beverage at the location.

Armed with this knowledge, I politely raised the issue with the manager or owner, expecting a quick correction. Instead, I was met with outright arrogance. Rather than acknowledging the possibility of an error or addressing my concern, the manager dismissed me with a condescending attitude, treating me as if I were the problem for daring to point out their mistake. It's unacceptable to illegally charge customers sales tax and then double down with such poor treatment when they raise a legitimate issue. This experience left a bitter taste that no amount of coffee could wash away, and I won't be returning. Clearly, the manager or owner believes running the shop makes them infallible, but this couldn't be further...

My friends and I went here on a Saturday for brunch. We saw that it has good reviews and a good amount of space. There are multiple seating arrangements with a larger long table seating in the corner.

The aesthetics are definitely there, from the decor to the food display. Ordering can be done at the counter with 3 kiosks. At the end of the ordering process, you'll grab a number sign and assign it to your order. The order will either be brought out to you or called out for pickup. Cleanup is self-cleaning with designated spaces for plates/cups/utensils/etc.

We'll start with the drinks first. I love matcha and was excited to try out theirs. I noticed on the menu that the matcha latte is made with coconut milk, but the ordering kiosk has multiple milk options. So naturally, I thought the milk could be substituted with whatever option was being selected. I was wrong. Coconut milk is automatically included, so I was drinking green coconut milk and whole milk. There was no matcha flavor, everything was overpowered by the coconut milk flavor. I am not a fan of coconut milk, and it was a disappointment. I held my breath so I could finish my drink, because I didn't want to waste money (lol). My friend ordered a matcha pistachio latte with a different milk option, and it was like drinking green coconut milk with a hint of pistachio. The hint of pistachio made the latte more bearable. My other friend ordered a vanilla latte, and she enjoyed it, however, the latte art, or lack thereof, was kinda funny.

Let's move on to the food. I ordered a ham and egg bagel, my friends ordered an acai bowl, and a steak and bagel. I was surprised with the flavors, they're not bad. The bagel had a nice bite with a light crunch and soft on the inside. The acai bowl was good. My friend's "steak" and egg bagel was a burger patty. We thought it would be sliced pieces of steak or something, but it was just a burger patty.

I think overall it was fairly pricey. The total price for my bagel and matcha was just shy of $20. The bagel was good, but I don't think it's any special than other places with a lower price. The matcha latte was definitely not worth 7 bucks.

Bottom line: bad matcha (unless you like coconut milk), decent food, nice aesthetics,...

We stopped by here after a yoga class and Stardust has exactly what we’ve looked for.

Parking: There’s a free retail parking lot right behind the store. Right before you reach the store, turn right onto the first entrance you see and the parking lot will be on your left. It’s free for 2 hours. We came around 1pm on Sunday and there were decent amount of available spots.

Ambience:

From the parking lot, just follow the exit sign and it will take you to the front where Stardust is. There are a couple of tables set outside in the big hallway. You may be able to bring your dogs here and enjoy what Stardust has to offer :)

The inside is aesthetically decorated with neutral themes of beige and white with black accents here and there. The store looks spacious with big windows which bring so much natural lights in. There are a raised platform area in the back where you can sit as a big group to hang out or by yourself to study. I saw many outlets there for your laptops and phone charging needs. There are also some cute retro mini game machines in the back as well.

Ordering process:

There are 2 ordering stations, right in front of the cashier area. Each station host 3 iPads. You grab one of the numbers on the table and put your order in the iPad. It will ask you for your number which is whichever number you grabbed previously. Enter that number in and proceed to an empty table. Make sure your number is visible because the staff will depend on the number to deliver your order correctly to you.

Food:

My friend custom made her açaí bowl and I ordered the Pure one on the menu. My bowl consisted of açaí layer in the bottom, matcha layer in the middle and Ube (purple yam) on the top. Sprinkled with hemp heart granola, coconut chips, banana, strawberries and blueberries with a hint of honey. It tasted AMAZINGLY! I love how my açaí had the right amount of sweetness and really refreshing.

The presentation of the açaí bowl was what won me open. It was nicely presentable on a natural wood rectangular plate with rounded corner, with the store’s logo stamped on one side of the plate.

Overall, nice ambience, service, and food. We’ll definitely be back soon to try out other...