Farmhand KCHN and Coffee St Augustine — Restaurant in Florida

We decided to try this place for breakfast since it is across the street from Days Inn, and we had already tried Denny's. This is not a table service place. You order at the register, they give you a number, and they bring your order to you. One thing that is deceptive is that they fail to tell you until you pay and review your receipt that they charge patrons 4% for using a credit or debit card. This shows me that this place will nickel and dime customers. This is a shady and unwelcome business practice. First of all, if they are going to charge customers for using a credit card, they should tell them upfront before ordering so they have the option to pay with cash. Accepting a credit card as payment is the cost of doing business; don't pass your business-related expenses onto customers. We are no longer in a pandemic, and supply chain issues have mostly been resolved. This practice forfeits any tips left to the cashier because the restaurant is passing a business expense to the customer. They also don't have table service, so a tip shouldn't be expected; it is no different from going to McDonald's, and McDonald's doesn't charge customers to use a credit card as payment. The prices at this place are already expensive. A breakfast sandwich and a side of potatoes are $11.99, and the Farmer's Breakfast is $13.99. Then, they want to charge 4% to use a card and expect a tip for a place that doesn't offer table service. They should just raise their prices 4% instead of nickel-and-diming the customers. This restaurant also charges 25 cents for a cup of tap water. Who does that????!!!!???? It's totally ridiculous! They charge for water that they get from the actual kitchen sink. Another thing I noticed is that the ladies restroom had no toilet paper in the dispenser and needed attention. They also did not have a reserve roll anywhere. I had to grab the paper hand towels from the sink. This proves that they do not properly stock or, at a minimum, check their restrooms. This was mid-morning so the restroom should not have run out of toilet paper that fast unless it was not checked in the first place. I do not recommend this restaurant based on the expensive prices, charging for kitchen sink tap water, operating cheaply, and nickel-and-diming customers. Customers get much better value for their money going to the Village Inn or Denny's, and customers are not charged for water. This is the first and only time we will patronize this establishment.

Response to the Manager: I am sorry that your feelings are hurt from my honest review of my experience at your restaurant. Maybe the reason why the other restuarant franchises have multiple locations operating is that they have customer loyalty and a success rate level that you don't have at your only location. Example would be how to give customers value for their money instead of taking advantage and leaving customers with a negative impression of your restaurant. Please obtain a proper business education and learn how to operate a restaurant properly instead of making excuses for your incompetence. If you are short-staffed, you need to pay your staff more instead of being as cheap as you are with your customers. Denny's across the street is short staffed yet I had a much better experience dining there than at your restaurant. I visited your restaurant mid-morning, as stated in my original post if you bother to properly read my review. If the toilet paper was really replenished prior to you opening that morning that I visited then it would not have run out that quickly, so stop with the excuses and maintain your facilities. Grow up, have some integrity, and learn from your mistakes. If you do not want to run a restaurant properly and just do the bare minimum, then get out of the business. I would not be surprised if you shut your doors permanently within the next 12 months, because you do not have a clue what you are doing. I will make sure to tell my friends, neighbors, and coworkers to avoid...

St. Augustine is a great place to visit and vacation. They have many dining options for visitors which is great! I decided to try this place for breakfast one morning as it is in close proximity to my hotel. It seems they are running this place as similar to fast food restaurants like maybe a Steak n Shake but without the value that you would get from quick service. First thing I noticed I was directed to order at the front register, the lady at the front said they don't offer table service. She said find a seat and they will bring my food out when it ready. There wasn't many people at this restaurant at 9:30 am so I didn't have a problem finding a place to sit. There were no condiments or napkins on the table. I was directed to an area by a beverage pick up station to get plastic utensils, napkins, salt, pepper. This did remind me of the similar set up as a Steak n Shake. I also noticed that their breakfast items are on expensive side, unlike any quick service restaurants. The food taste was okay, and my order was correct. The quality and potion sizes does not equate to the prices charged. For 1 person coming in expect to pay a minimum of $15-$20 a person for just breakfast. When reviewing my receipt I noticed they charge customers a 4% fee for paying with a credit card, so I am being charged this restaurant's fee for using my own card to pay. If this was disclosed to me upfront I would have been happy to pay cash. Usually restaurants do that when they are trying to take advantage of customers, just to keep their operating expenses minimum. Accepting a credit card as payment, the fees are the cost of doing business. They should disclose this before you order instead of being sneaky and tacking this onto your bill and you noticing this later. It would be nice if the staff let me know beforehand, as there was no notification of this at the cashier when I placed my order. This is the only restaurant that I have experienced in St. Augustine that charges for using your own credit card to pay. Also this restaurant charges 25 cents for a plastic cup of tap water. Again, water from the sink is included in the regular water bill. It is not bottled water which one would expect to pay for. The cost of a plastic cup and straw is a regular operating expense. They need to use re-usable hard plastic cups and metal utensils that they can wash use again then they wouldn't have to try to tack on that expense to the customer. That would also help the environment and keep the additional plastic out of the landfills. I have read the mixed reviews on this restaurant on several platforms even Trip Advisor, and after my experience at this restaurant I have to agree with some past customers that even though food and supply prices in general are high that is no reason to take advantage of customers by tacking on hidden additional fees here and there, and not disclosing that upfront. The food quality doesn't match the prices charged, you cannot even ask to customize your order. Even Burger King has a motto "Have it your way". No restaurant charges customers for sink tap water, unless they are hurting bad financially. I am sorry but like most people I really don't like being taken advantage of. People work hard for their money, and with things costing more these days I don't want to feel ripped off. This restaurant will not have a repeat visit for me. There are other restaurants in St. Augustine where they offer value for the money customers pay for food and service. I was told by several individuals that the Owner/Manager gets very offended by constructive criticism of customers both verbally and publicly. The bottom line is that customers can make or break a restaurant, especially in this economy, just food for thought. My recommendation is to check out the reviews first before...

Heard about this place on local radio. Like to patronize those who advertise on stations I rely on. Gave them a try. Had lunch with my wife. Food was excellent. Wife had ceasar with chicken. I had ham and cheese on ciabatta w cup of tomato bisque. She said it was best ceasar she's had in a long time. Mine was great. Only reason not give 5 stars is good was a little pricey. Two people, two iced teas, and food was 37.00 after 15% tip for counter service is just a tad too high. The counter girl was also not the most attentive. More concerned with grinding coffee than taking our order, and she could have explained their menu a bit more friendly like. But I'll attribute more of that to her than to the establisment. I would have at least liked a pickle with my sandwich, the soup was extra. A chips and drink combo would be a nice touch. Sandwich and soup combo maybe? I understand good food takes time and bla blah blah, but 20.00 for a lunch sandwich is prohibitive. 15 is more doable. I loved the homemade mint flavored sugar cubes by the way.

On a side note. And this has nothing to do with this place. I'm tired of going to these places that take your money on an iPad and when they flip it around it asks for a 18% tip,20% tip 22% tip. I want to tip, but 20% is way too high for counter service in my opinion. (They had 15% as first option) I wish counter service establishments would give me a 10% option. I think that's fair. They brought my food out to me, yes, but I bussed my own table, etc.. Just Bitchin a little. I guess I'll just do a custom tip...