Fireroast Coffee — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Wow. I happened to stumble on this old review (while adding a thoroughly positive one for a local bike shop) and have just realized the owner of Fireroast has replied to it... THREE TIMES. The tone of the response is sort of... sulky? The person claims to have "reviewed the tapes" for a day I hadn't mentioned originally... They've run down my supposedly caring too much about "a $4 drip coffee" (which, uhm, is not what I happen to make my living selling, so maybe some use of a mirror would be in order?).

I'll leave my original review below, and just say that the energy used in replying to shaky reviews about the atmosphere at this physically charming cafe could be better used in treating people with a note of friendly respect while they're visiting. This place was included in the Craftnotes "Coffee Passport" I received as a gift. We went a while out of our way to visit as a result -- successful advertising by the business, right? -- but were then told flatly by the person behind the counter that Fireroast wasn't honoring the complimentary drink listed in the little passport "yet."

The coffee passports have been out for a few years, from what I can see. I tried to ask the blasé young woman behind the counter when Fireroast would honor the coupon, and got no real response. Frankly this employee seemed totally indifferent. No doubt she was put in an awkward spot by her employer, but she didn't seem to care much.

Under almost any circumstance, I would have ordered more than one item to balance out the free drink in a situation like this. I want to support the local place, you know? The person who gave me this present would like to have brought me to a new joint, too. I don't even care about the money. It's only a few bucks! But anyway, instead of that potential goodwill and business, Fireroast was sort of... needlessly rude.

Whatever combination of poor management (which listed the shop in the passport book and then didn't honor that) and indifferent employees I ran into here, it was a jerky experience. Even if there was a way to know when, in the future, they might honor their little passport coupon, I wouldn't go out of my way again to try them.

Update: You will see a reply from the owner of this business below. It makes claims inconsistent with the information I got from the publishers of the book involved, when I asked them too about this little moment. It also describes what the employee told me inaccurately.

I will also point out that the owner claims to have reviewed video footage -- when I didn't mention a time or even a date on which I had visited. This is a strange claim.

With respect to tempers and tantrums: "Physician, heal thyself." I've worked retail before in my life, and responded to complaints. This person needs a lesson in the latter skill. My "abuse" in this case took the form of an internet review, the tone of which anyone can judge above for themselves. No employees were spoken to with the tiniest shred of malice or abuse. (I also made a purchase. Like I said above... It's not the money.)

Coffee places are about good will. This place went out of its way to sort of spoil that feeling. You know? And now the owner is doubling down....

When I first started going to Fire Roast Coffee, it was a good environment. The coffee was solid, the food was good, and the staff was friendly. That changed on Friday, January 24, 2025.

I arrived, went up to the counter, and asked the barista if it was okay if I ordered something in a little bit which I had done before. The barista was nice and said no problem. A while later, an older white man—either the owner or a manager—came up and asked me to move my things over evidently so more people could sit down. That was fine - even though no one new came or sat down at the long table I was at. It wasn't a huge deal though; I understand the logistics of making people feel like they can comfortably sit at open spots.

Then he asked if I had ordered anything, if I was a customer. I told him I hadn’t yet but planned to. His response: "Just so you know, you have to be a paying customer to be here." I told him I understood and I asked if it was okay if I ordered something soon. He said that was okay, but his tone was unnecessarily curt, but I let it go.

I purchased my food. Then, an hour and a half later, after I had already paid and eaten, I went to the restroom. When I came back, he stopped me again. He asked if I had ordered something. I told him I had. His response was, "I'm here to make a profit. If people come in and don’t pay, I don’t make money. You have to be paying to sit here." I asked him why he was repeating what he had already told me before. I also asked him why he was harrassing me. He told me I can't just come in and sit down withput paying first. I told him again that he had already said this and "you saw that I understood and I affirmed that I understood you, so why are you bringing this up to me again?"

I called him out on it and asked for an apology. He refused. So I left.

I don’t think this was just about the café’s policy. I am Oglala Lakota, Arikara, and Hidatsa. The way I was singled out wasn't a coincidence. The staff I saw was entirely white, which doesn’t reflect the diversity of this neighborhood. Not saying that’s automatically a problem—but it’s worth noting. In the Trump-era climate we live in, old white men feel emboldened to act however they want toward people of color. This felt like one of those moments.

If you're a POC, I wouldn’t recommend going here. I...

Ugh - Went to this coffee shop for the first time since there was a little art fair set up in front biggest mistake.

The set up makes it hard to see the menu. There were people in line who were ordering before me (including 2 kids). The specialty lattes have no description on the board, you can see the ingredients only on the flyer in front of the cash register.

Went up to order and asked the owner/cashier (won't say barista because I didn't see him making any drinks) what was in the Thai Coffee and Northshore Fog Tea Latte. He explained them thoroughly, however when I asked for the Northshore Fog iced, things went downhill. He snapped back that this drink couldn't be iced. Okay, I asked for a different recommendation and in a snippy tone (see the pattern?) he said "I recommend them ALL CAUSE THEY'RE ALL MY RECIPES". I asked if I could get a different tea latte iced at which point he snipped back (as if it's common knowledge, although it's not written anywhere on the menu) that none of the tea lattes could be iced. He then turned away from me and started doing something else with a barista. The other barista looked at me and looked confused because I was still placing my order but continued to do the task that was asked of them by the cashier. Eventually the cashier acknowledged me and I order a lemonade and iced herbal tea (not latte).

The drinks were both bad - lemonade worse than the iced tea.

Not sure what the cashier's problem is but once interacted with, the whole place feels unwelcoming. Won't be coming back, there are other coffee shops with nicer owners who won't snap when you ask for recommendations or...