Kollective Coffee & Tea — Restaurant in Hot Springs

The Descent of the Coffee Kingdom: A Review of the End Times at Kollective

I've been a loyal soldier in the caffeine trenches at this place since 2015, and let me tell you, it used to be one of the few shining beacons of sanity in the twisted landscape of Hot Springs. A place where coffee was an art, a ritual, a mystical elixir brewed by baristas who knew that the world didn’t deserve good coffee — it needed great coffee. But now? Now I’m convinced this place has slipped through a crack in the fabric of reality and wound up in the upside down. Everything that once defined this shop has been twisted, inverted, turned into something grotesque and unrecognizable.

Take the pour-over, for instance. Used to be a sacred thing. You’d walk in, and the barista, a master of their craft, would gracefully pour water over those perfect little grinds, extracting every ounce of potential from the beans. It was a moment. Now? Forget it. They won’t do it because they’re “too busy.” Too busy to prepare coffee the right way? The right way is a quaint notion of the past, like a lost dream or a legend. Now it's just a casualty of whatever strange dimension they've slipped into.

Then there's the espresso. Oh, the espresso. It used to be the dark, bitter heart of this place, rich and bold like the heavy stomp of a boot on the ground. Now? It’s served in a paper cup, which might be great if you want your espresso to taste like a soggy cardboard box soaked in regret. But hey, who doesn’t enjoy the subtle taste of paper in their coffee, right? Nothing says "premium espresso" like the distinct aroma of recycled fiber.

And let’s not even get started on the absurd store policies that hang like a shroud over the place. As if the energy-sucking hard rock playlist—loud enough to cause spontaneous combustion—weren’t enough to make you turn tail and flee. No, now you get a side of “we don’t do that here anymore” and "we’re too busy for that," with a healthy dose of passive-aggressive scolding from the staff. It’s as if they’ve decided to combine the worst aspects of customer service with the most unforgiving rules of some twisted, dystopian future.

At this point, I can’t help but think only Sheriff Hopper can save this place. He’d march in, kick down the door, and start kicking ass—returning the shop to what it used to be. A place where you could actually order a pour-over without getting a lecture. A place where the espresso didn’t come with a side of existential dread.

But until that miracle happens, I’ll just keep trying to remind myself of the good old days. Maybe the coffee gods will wake up, and the shop will return to the glory days. Or maybe it’ll keep spiraling down into this parallel universe where the coffee is bad, the staff is bizarre, and the whole thing is one long, strange,...

Based on other reviews my husband and I were really excited to try this place out. We always go camping near hot springs for my birthday, and this year we decided to treat ourselves to lunch. I wished we had gone elsewhere.

It was fairly busy, as it was a Saturday. I work at a coffee shop so I know when there is a rush things can get a little stressful, so I always try to be gracious to fellow baristas. When we ordered food, a cappuccino, and a pourover the woman at the register was short, rude, and snippy with us. I get we ordered complicated things, but they are on the menu. It's not our fault the place was busy. She said she would bring out our food and drinks, so we sat down and tried to ignore the interaction. A little later she brought out the drinks, hurriedly dropped them in front of us and splashed my husband's coffee on his phone and the table. We said thanks and she responded with the most sarcastic "sure" I have ever heard. We were both pretty angry at this point.

Also, online it is advertised as a third wave coffee shop, yet my cappuccino was 16oz. A traditional cappuccino is always 6oz and not as hot as a latte. So I should have just ordered a 16oz latte because that's what I got.

I did give one star because the food was fine. Overall I was not impressed with the experience, especially considering...

UPDATE - I absolutely love this place. Coffee, food, ambiance, service, it has it all.

I appreciate the quality and selection of their product, organic and local, healthy and delicious! Their gluten free almond biscotti is scrummy, juevos rancheros is mouthwatering, breakfast bowl of goodness is just that - light, sweet, refreshing goodness (and dairy free available!). The hot, yummy coffee is just a perk! Ha - see what I did there?

I also love that Kollective supports local artists by hosting WNP (Wednesday night poetry) every week. They also put up posters advertising other local art events, which is what led us to a wonderful student short film festival.

The service has always been top notch! Always helpful, informative and welcoming.

They'll always get my business when I'm in town!

ORIGINAL - Love this little Hot Springs gem! Great coffee, dairy alternatives (crucial!!), great food and great service. My husband and I walked here nearly every day of our visit!

We even came one evening when they were open late for poetry night - SUCH incredible artists and performers, laughter and tears, certainly something we never expected, and yet it changed our lives!

We will definitely be back and highly recommend a visit to...