The Coffee Connection — Restaurant in City of Oswego

Reopened in a great new location next to the Oswego Theatre. Should do well given the location. Extremely attractive interior with a few seating places inside, and several tables outside in a hooded vinyl area (esp. good during covid). We saw that they had a fire pit at one of the tables (was it two?). So really a great vibe.

Not perfect because at just before 3 PM the coffee (from a vacuum pump we think) was tepid at best. This is basic black coffee. Coffee is in their name and should be perfect. And for most people, that means HOT and not weak. Once you put cream and sugar in it, cold, and was not strong to begin with.

As I have owned a coffee shoppe, I understand some issues that the employee (almost certainly not the owner) might not have gotten. Vacuum pots need to be 'rewarmed' after they have cooled. So you take out the cold coffee and rinse with warm water and put hot water in it (as hot as possible, boiling is best) for upward to a half hour to hour and then dump and put in fresh coffee. And coffee should be fresh. My thinking is: old vacuum pot or more likely this is the same coffee served all morning and now customers have slowed and same coffee left over. I asked if the coffee was GF, and the barista didn't know.

There are several places around there that serve coffee, so there is competition. The other place, one half block distance ALWAYS has perfect coffee. And home baked goods, so you don't want to lose customers over something as easy to fix as HOT strong coffee.

My tea was hot enough. So all good there, but an inexpensive brand, so what's not to mess up?

Now, this is the important part. I use to go to the original location Coffee Connection on Water Street for years and three different owners. NEVER had an issue like cold coffee. And I spent hundreds of dollars there in a year for twenty years!

Not certain I will return at this hour to this location but will see if it's better when the owner is there. Or I'll just go around the corner, even though I wanted to give the new cheery location my business.

IF decor and location is your #1 choice, nothing else to say negative of the place. CHARMING decor, and very upscale. I suspect my experience may have been isolated, but I'll hafta spend an additional $3.00 plus...

MY FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP ANYWHERE! The Coffee Connection in Oswego has excellent freshly ground coffee in a friendly, homey space. They offer a wide selection of coffees, teas and juices as well as a nice selection of baked goods. The service is excellent, with shop owner Tara often working the counter herself. Open 6 days per week (closed on Sundays), the shop offers different varieties as the coffee of the day in regular, decaf, flavored and iced, and will make just about anything else you might want if you ask. Espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos - either plain or flavored, hot or iced - are excellent. A recent addition is the new food service, Crumb, which is sharing space with the coffee shop. This 1-2 punch makes the Coffee Connection a go-to place for breakfast or lunch or for a drink and a snack! Added bonuses to the homey atmosphere are the glassed street-facing overhead door which can be opened wide in warmer weather, and covered sidewalk patio which has clear curtains that can be rolled down on cooler or rainy days. On cooler days, there are even fireplace tables outside! You couldn’t ask for a nicer place to spend a few minutes or a couple of hours. If I could, I would give The Coffee...

I have visited the new location a few times before with great customer care, 5 stars even, however, this review is based on the most recent. I enjoyed my coffee connection visit with a friend on a very warm spring day, and was able to enjoy the outdoor seating area. Rated 4 stars because when I first walked in, no one made any attempt to greet me or see if I was ready to order, & someone was on the phone behind the counter. (I was the only one at the front counter at the time.) That said when it was time to order, and the shop had gotten a little busier- there was pleasant exchange and the coffee was decent, and fair priced for the large size. We ordered breakfasts from the in-house cafe, The Crumb, as well and it complimented the coffee house experience that much more. I would gladly...