Cafesphere — Restaurant in Media

I’ve been a frequent customer at this coffee shop with my wife, and while it has a clean, modern atmosphere and decent coffee, today’s experience left us disappointed and unlikely to return.

We visited with our kids for a casual coffee date and chose to sit in the kid-friendly area. The kids were playing, and we were enjoying our drinks when a barista unexpectedly asked us to move because of a private event. There was no signage or prior notice that this area would be reserved, which caught us completely off guard. It’s a coffee shop, and we never expected a private event to take precedence over regular customers, especially in a designated family-friendly space.

As we started gathering our things to leave, we overheard the guests mentioning that they didn’t need the whole area. The barista then came back to let us know we could stay, but by that point, the atmosphere was already ruined. To be fair, he did sincerely apologize, and we appreciate that—but the initial approach felt dismissive and unwelcoming.

While this may seem like a small inconvenience, it left a lasting negative impression. Asking paying customers to vacate without warning disrupts the experience and creates an awkward situation. A simple sign or advance notice about private reservations would have made all the difference. Unfortunately, this misstep has likely cost them our future visits.

Reply to Owner

Hi,

I appreciate the response and the apology. I also appreciate the gestures, like the free cake pop and dessert. However, the issue wasn't just being asked to move-it was the lack of notice and the impractical seating alternatives. The family-friendly area was the only space that worked for us, and the rest of the shop was too crowded to be a real option.

After a long week, we chose your café to relax, but this experience made us feel displaced and unwelcome. A simple sign or prior notice would have made all the difference. I hope this feedback helps improve future...

The espresso was what one might expect. However, the customer service from the barista was not. While ordering for my wife and myself the barista asked what kind of milk my wife wanted in her order. I asked my wife and she responded and I repeated her response to the barista. The barista refused to acknowledge my answer. The barista then restated the question directly to my wife and seemingly waited for her response before continuing to process our order. I responded with the same answer my wife gave until the barista took the hint. The barista then attempted to ignore that our order was 'together' before I paid, though I had mentioned this before beginning the order. When our order was ready no one called our names, or announced what the order was, and I had to ask who the order was for. I received a curled sneer from the same barista as I approached the pick-up side counter. The barista was a teenager or first year college student who seemed to take offense at my ordering for my wife, though that is her preference when we go out to coffeehouses, so one may only guess as to the trauma they had experienced in their life, but that still does not excuse the implied indifference to me and/or my wife. We weren't trying to upset that person by virtue of our choice of coffeehouse that Sunday afternoon. Consequently, no tip was left. There is no place for that kind of behavior in the service industry.

The general area was echo-laden and reverberant. My wife and I couldn't find a place to be comfy or out-of-the-way of through foot-traffic.

It seemed that there were multiple venues where basic interior design could've alleviated the narrowness of its patron's range of motion, but none of those considerations were factored into the placement of seating options.

A...

Wonderful euro-style cafe with excellent drinks and a nice casual vibe. I’ve been here about a half dozen times over the last few months and every time the coffee and tea have been spot on. The flat white is one of the best I have had outside of Australia/NZ. They also have a helpful “coffee translation” sign for those who are new to the various preparations. The atmosphere is very welcoming, peaceful and comfortable with a diverse and lively group of customers.

Only two things kept me from giving it 5 stars. First, they have no ceramic mugs for 16oz beverages. If you are ordering in, you’ll be sipping a large delicious beverage from a plain white wax-lined paper cup, which kind of cheapens the overall experience. Second, the service has been good but a little inconsistent. Recently, I ordered a standard size drink so I could have it in the cool green ceramic cup and the barista prepared it in a paper cup and seemed a bit annoyed that I asked her to pour it into a ceramic cup.

Overall, it’s a great place and a super nice addition to downtown Media. Definitely recommend...