Rio Chama Espresso Kitchen & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Chama

My coffee was very good! It did take about 45 minutes to an hour to get my coffee though, which I understand because they are short staffed at the moment. However, there were two very unhappy customers who were expressing their frustration due to the wait time. The owner of the coffee shop was arguing back with the customers at two separate times in front of everyone, which made me feel very uncomfortable. I don’t like confrontation so I did want to leave ASAP but I wanted my coffee. The customers complaining were in the wrong since there was a sign outside saying the wait time would be longer than usual, but the yelling and arguing back and forth from the owner made me and my son feel very uncomfortable. There does need to be more professionalism from the owner and learn to maybe not yell back at unhappy customers, even if the customer is in the wrong. As a former manager of a company myself, it’s better to be the bigger person and kindly explain the situation with being short staffed, rather than immediately yelling back. The customers became angry due to the tone from the owner. Not very professional. Also, the arguing customers were not a threat to anyone. Yes, the customer was in the wrong, not wanting to leave when asked, but at the same time, you, the owner, made the threat of calling the police which had made customer more upset and defensive, thus not wanting to leave. The owner essentially escalated the situation. My son said, “Dad, what if that man had a weapon and was not mentally there? I was so scared.” My son made a good point. This day in age, we don’t know what some people are capable of but one thing you can do as an owner is to learn how to professionally control the situation and think about the safety of others in the room. I also felt really bad for the entire staff because they all looked so drained. I asked the cashier how her day was and she said “very tired and I’m just ready for the day to be over” :( The coffee was totally worth the wait time though. One of the best coffees I have had in a...

Was coming into town for a day trip and stopped in for some coffee. The place was cute. I ordered a latte, but what I received was more like a cappuccino-- More than half my drink was just milk foam. When you pay $8 for a drink, you just expect it to be what you ordered, so I was disappointed there. I ended up stopping back in for another cup before I left town and mentioned my issue with my drink in the morning. I was hoping they would help me out in some fashion. The worker I talked to about it identified herself as the owner/manager. The customer service could be better because she didn't try to offer any resolution for my issue from the morning. She actually even made excuses for the issue (i.e. using a milk brand she wasn't used to) versus trying to correct it. The worker she was alongside even pointed out she had noticed me come in that morning. The owner also didn't make me the right drink the 2nd time I came in and when I corrected her, she told me that's not what I had ordered. Then instead of making me a new version of the drink I had ordered, she took back the first one (which I had already drank out of--health code violation especially right now during COVID pandemic), and just added more syrup to it before handing it back to me.

I was really disappointed with the level of service that was given to me from my visits. The coffee was good, but not worth the money given the poor quality of service--especially when the establishment is not willing to fix their own mistakes without repercussions to the customer. As a customer I am pretty tolerant, but I will always draw the line at poor service.

There are other reviewers stating issues--but all I still see is the owner/management making excuses for poor service/quality versus being apologetic and trying to make it right.

Just know that if you have any type of issue with this establishment (with their products or service)it is unlikely they will...

I’m a tea drinker, so I appreciate having good tea steeped at the right time and temperature. The shop has an extensive drink menu, but extremely limited food menu. I don’t care for bagels or burritos, so I didn’t eat breakfast. Instead, I had what I thought was biscotti the first day, but it was more like pound cake. The second day, I asked for a chocolate croissant. The server took one out that had powdered sugar on it and put it in the microwave. I asked what the croissant next to it in the case was. She said “They’re the same.” I guess they were both chocolate, but obviously not “the same.”When she handed me the one with powdered sugar, I said I didn’t want powdered sugar. She then put the plain one in a bag without heating it up and handed to me without saying anything. The guy behind said “Wow” The third time I went there, it wasn’t all that busy, but I stood there waiting for someone to acknowledge me and take my order. After a few minutes of that, I left saying “I give up” and the guy behind me did the same.

The bottom line is I experienced and witnessed abysmal customer service all four times I went there. It’s a nice atmosphere, good products, cool outdoor seating. No matter how busy or short staffed you are, welcoming and greeting customers with a smile should be standard practice. They don’t even say anything when you’re standing right at the register. Friendly, courteous service can make waiting no big deal. And, gee, customers WILL TIP YOU for good service, even if it’s slow and especially when you’re busy and they can see you’re doing your best.

The argumentative style of the owner in these reviews says a lot about the example she sets for her staff. Maybe instead of spending time writing responses to bad reviews, she should train her staff better and come up with solutions to the complaints. For me, all it would take is a greeting, a smile, a please...