Groundswell Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Lake View Township

I can't figure out why this place is so unnecessarily yet savagely rude. It's actually baffling how unfriendly at least 50% of their staff members are.

Solely due to proximity of living in the area, I've been going here on and off for a year now and every time I leave, I'm confused by what just happened. There isn't even anything that "happens", it just genuinely seems like the majority of their staff is bothered by the existence of anyone and everyone who buys from them?

I know customers can be difficult, especially in the food industry, so I've always tried to give a bit of grace to cashiers and baristas - hence having this recurring experience for a year and not saying anything. But, every time I've been to Groundswell, I've never observed situations that would merit how unfriendly and uninviting the staff is - I've gone first thing in the morning, to just before their mid-day close. There is the occasional more-friendly outlier, but most of their staff will not greet you when you enter, if you try to give decent friendly customer banter like "how are you" when ordering they won't respond (even when it's empty inside), and they will ignore you when you say pleasantries like "thank you." It's not the end of the world, but when it happens every time you're there by at least 1 member of the staff you interact with, it’s just a strange environment.

This morning, there was a man paying before me, who was attempting to finish up a polite conversation with the cashier and other staff. I get how this can be annoying for the staff when you have to help other customers and someone keeps talking to you, but before the customer was wrapping up his sentence, the cashier looked at me, clearly ending his convo with the customer without saying anything. I looked back at forth at the cashier and the customer, indicating I was happy to let them finish. The cashier just said nothing and continued to stare at me... no "Enjoy your day, I need to help this customer" to the man, or simply telling me "What can I get for you?" or even a mere "Hi." He just deadpan stared at me. I then said I was only getting two donuts, waiting for some type of acknowledgement or perhaps a follow up question, but he stared at me saying nothing. I proceeded to tell him which types I wanted, and as he handed them over without looking at me, I said "Thank you!" and he did not acknowledge what I said, or even look back at me. Just... weird!

If their coffee or food was amazing, I would maybe look past it, but everything is average. You can get a much better experience at Salsa's Family Market across the street or The Perfect Cup 1.5 blocks away if you prefer to shop local, and there's a Starbucks about 3 blocks...

One of the worst experiences as a customer I’ve ever had. The coffee shop I wanted to go to was unfortunately closed :( So my roommate and I headed down the street to another one we found. We walked inside, the baristas seemed interested in something else so whatever. We walked up to the register and I ordered an espresso and then (a bit of a complicated request I guess) asked for an iced espresso with vanilla and oat milk. I’ve been in the industry for 3+ years and have made drinks like this many times. It is not an iced latte. I guess this lead to an argument, the barista corrected me and said that I was ordering an iced latte which I was not. You can charge for syrup and the additional milk I do not care. But he proceeded to charge me for an iced latte without my consent. We picked up the drinks and my roommates iced espresso barely had any oat milk so she asked for more. He said “next time just order an iced latte” like he literally didn’t just charge us for one? Every interaction with this barista was passive- aggressive. I left the cafe crying as i felt so attacked by this interaction, just so incredibly rude.

To my point. There are several reviews calling out this coffee shop for having rude baristas and a passive-aggressive environment. Yet, the owner has done NOTHING. No, I don’t want to hurt small businesses but I want them to know that it isnt okay to be MEAN to customers and to make them feel awful. So please, for the sake of your feelings and happiness DO NOT go to Groundswell Coffee Roasters on Damen. Jason, we see your incompetence with creating a healthy culture at your shop and encourage you to fix...

I have just moved to this area and was very excited to frequent this coffee shop as I heard so many wonderful compliments. Truth be told, I often feel disappointed coming. I took a break from coming here due to the customer service. I once was a barista for 3 years and I understood that moods could reflect on my work and impact my customers. It took me quite sometime to realize that I was much friendlier to customers I enjoyed compared to customers I did not know or did not enjoy. This type of bias was something I chose to change because my job description was never to be friendly and warm towards those I only liked. I had to make sure I was always on my game. As a human, this is not always the case. I understand we are always going through moods.

I encounter cold attitudes from two baristas. I never feel good during my experience with them and because they are there often I sometimes avoid coming in. There is one young woman who was a beautiful raspy voice and curly hair that is always pleasant and warm. I like to go in when she is there. I would say this particular woman has great customer service skills.

I do realize my perspective and experience is only subjective and I can always choose to stop coming in. That is a choice that only I can make. Others will have a different perspective or experience. My only reason to state this review is in to shed light: When you are warm to all your customers, you attract more revenue. When you are lukewarm and choose to embrace the mood you are in, your revenue decreases. Never rely on your frequent customers to keep your job steady.

And kindness is a...