Caribou Coffee — Restaurant in Maplewood

I am on a Sunday 6:00 p.m. bowling league at Saxon Lanes on Little Canada Road just east of Rice. I live near 35E and Maryland so on 10/23/16 left my house around 5:30 p.m. Normally, I take 35E to the Little Canada exit but decided to stop at the Caribou on Rice and Larpenteur for coffee and maybe a goodie. I arrived around 5:40-5:45 p.m. I went into the store to place my order. There were only a couple tables occupied and there was a party of 4 who had just finished placing their order. There were only two young women apparently running the store (unless there was someone in the back). The woman who waited on me was blonde with glasses. I placed my order for a cocoa. I know from experience at other Caribous, Starbucks, Dunn's, etc. that usually it only takes a couple minutes (depending on how busy the store is) from order placement until order completed.

These two women seemed terribly unorganized. The second woman was making the drinks (or so I thought) and also manning the drive through (or so I thought). After I placed my order, the blonde was also taking orders from the drive through so for a few minutes it appeared that NEITHER was making drinks! They both seemed to be running around but not accomplishing anything. When one of the previous customers came to get his drink, he asked that some brewed coffee be added; he was told they were out and it was brewing.

I ended up waiting about 10 minutes to get my drink and was worried that I was going to be late to bowling. I was to the point that I was ready to walk out but I had already paid for my drink. I did make it to bowling but just barely.

Unimpressed with this place. Based on the several other one star reviews, I apparently am not the only one.

UPDATE: I had filed an online complaint with Caribou and received a timely response that included an e-gift certificate for either $5 or $10 (don't recall the amount because that was over a year ago now). Originally gave this 2 stars but upgraded to 3 based on the timely response and the fact that management made an effort to ensure I was a...

They gave me food that was still frozen in the middle of my sandwich it was all men which wasn't a problem until they were super rude they didn't greet you when you walked in they didn't have good customer service at all when the ladies be there they are so respectful they friendly they kind that was the first time I've been there with it all men and I didn't appreciate how they was acting and the store was dirty the counters had coffee all over them some of them was on they cell phone with there airpods in they ear and there was nobody attending the floor I will not be coming back there unless it is different people there working I remember the three guys and I don't ever want to come back with them being thereb oh and one more thing too when I told him my sandwich was still frozen in the middle I turned around after giving him the sandwich to throw my napkin in the trash he was picking it up with proper stuff but my sandwich touch the counter and he's still picked it up as if I wasn't watching him and put it back in the oven or wherever he was doing with it and I really just an appreciate that versus making me a fresh sandwich making me a new sandwich I spent my money there and I really did not like the three guys that was there they...

This has always been my go-to Caribou until today. I am here almost every morning regardless of staff and product shortages (I'm a reasonable person). But today I missed the small handwritten sign on the front door that said 'drive thru only unless you have a mobile order'. I walked in. Everyone stared at me for 15-20 seconds then I was turned away and was told the lobby was closed unless I have a mobile order (Oops, my bad. No problem!). I went out in my car and began putting in my mobile order. I look up when I see a man walk inside, walk right up to the counter, pay for a drink and be serviced quickly and with what seemed like excellent customer service. At this point, I am wondering why I was treated differently, so I call and tell them what I saw and ask if they are truly closed. She says "Oh. Well - if someone walks in we are obviously going to help them!" I said "OK, then why was I turned away?" She says, "oh... well my coworkers all spoke up before I did..."

Okey Dokey... I don't like to make assumptions but I feel like I was treated differently for some reason. With that being said, probably...