Roasting Plant Coffee — Restaurant in Detroit

I say this to make this place better otherwise it doesn’t matter! I’m from Los Angeles CA and I’ve travelled all over this country to every state for work. I’ve been out of the country so many times, and over the years I’ve developed a love for coffee and its grades and how coffee has levels to it. I like to study how to make coffee and brew it. I’ve made pour overs to egg coffee using a real egg boiling coffee over the stove for a smoother taste! This place has a scale they place your coffee on and the scale is very deceptive giving out different readings every time the coffee is placed on it and you can be charged over the price due to their faulty scale reading. At first over the last couple of years I just didn’t say anything as if the scale needed to be re calibrated as they said and just bought the coffee because Star Bucks and most coffee places have low grade or terrible coffee! But recently last year going into this year I went in and I didn’t wanna be charged the high amount and asked what’s the problem with the scale. A manager was called and they used a weight scale behind the counter they said it’s more accurate but to this day most employees from their black to white ones will use the broken scale and you will be over charged! This is wrong and deceptive! I waited a year to make this review and recently bought coffee their last week! So this is not over emotion. I would recommend another coffee shop to go to regularly or if you desire to buy a whole bag of coffee and that’s FRANK CHAZZANO COFFEE ROASTERS in BERKLEY MI. If your like me and wanna be two bags or one bag and do your own brew, go there. They have over 30 coffees from through out the world and He specializes in making sure the roast is down to the note, and you will buy a pound of coffee for 18-24$ or even more but it will be the exact price for the pound. If you buy a pound for 22$ its 22$ exactly no scale to charge more based on beans in the bag. And if you want a half pound it’s exactly 11$. The coffee at the roasting plant give less for more money!!! And you will pay extra because they use a broke scale and someone in management told me they told employees not to use the scale but that was last year and I just went and the scale is still broke! If your in a rush and just need a cup or more and maybe a bag, this place is good coffee but you might be over charged for the bag. If your brewing coffee regularly or want to buy more bags, don’t go here. That is until they change the way they measure your coffee! When I complained and told them I go to somewhere else to buy coffee the worker said that’s because it’s a small company. Technically a franchise or more than one store will be cheaper than the local guy with one store in the state region or country. The Roasting Plant has more than one location in the country....

Roasting Plant Detroit used to be one of my favorite coffee spots, but after my experience, I will ever go back. My significant other and I have been loyal customers for many years, visiting multiple times a week and always receiving great service, until Horizon Will, the new manager, completely ruined that. When I got my drinks, they were half full despite being in large cups as I ordered. I politely brought this to Horizon’s attention, expecting the issue to be resolved quickly and respectfully. Instead, I was met with rudeness, defensiveness, and a condescending attitude. I explained my order (something I’ve been getting for years without issue) and Horizon dismissed me, saying I should “order a large in a medium cup because of the extra milk instead.” For clarity, I wasn’t asking for extra milk for free, I requested one less espresso shot, replaced with more milk, something your baristas have always accommodated. What really set me off was her comment that the excellent service I’ve received for years was just baristas “being nice to me.” When in fact, many baristas at the shop rang my order the same no matter who I encountered. The comment was uncalled for and outright insulting. Horizon then made me wait an unreasonable amount of time to remake the drinks, only to mess them up again. I had to go back to the counter for another barista to finally fix them. It honestly felt like Horizon went out of her way to make an example of me in front of other customers. Is this really how your “manager” treats loyal customers? Even if my order was somehow misunderstood, there’s no excuse for Horizon’s unprofessional, dismissive, and egregiously rude behavior. If this is the direction Roasting Plant is heading under her management, I don’t see how I can continue to support this place. Fix this. Your loyal customers...

Used to be my favorite place to hang for coffee and atmosphere. Of course post covid businesses have changed, however I stopped in after some time since being there.

Batista was helpful however I ordered a pound of beans and there wasn't any in the chute. She offered other beans, but literally ALL of the chutes were below the filler line except 1 blend and it was maybe 0.25 pounds you could scrape from it. She kindly offered to roast them and have them ready in 30-40 minutes.

I came back and they weren't ready (which I don't care about, I like to get my own), the new batista had to get a spoon to get enough out from the chute because only 0.6 pounds came out.

Compare to what it was before when chutes were filled and the shop was packed, there was only 1 table with a customer, and a homeless person at the bar stool at the window. Then to barely squeeze enough roasted beans out for me after having to come back, left a lot to be desired.

As for the quality of coffee, there's a lot to pick from. Great info on sourcing, processing, altitude and body. That's what made me love this place years ago.

Chocolate chip cookie was good too, not too sweet, and has a fluffier texture than your usual.

Last qualm, which I don't recall - coffee prices are priced at 12oz (3/4 pound) but they offered 1 pound bags or 1/2 pound bags. I didn't realize until I went to pay for my pound of Ethiopian and it was 8 more dollars than expected. Misleading? Maybe, but definitely odd, because the average consumer doesn't purchase 3/4 pound at a time of any consumable, coffee or other. Weird...