Caribou Coffee — Restaurant in New Hope

I entered this store on 05/03/2024 at approximately 5:54 p.m.

There was no barista at the counter or customers in the store, so I waited four minutes.  After the elapsed time, a female with dark hair proceeded to either come out of the bathroom or the back storage area, which I thought was another customer, as she had the most disgusted and sour look on her face, almost like she had a bad day or something to that effect.  I was wrong because she was the barista and went behind the counter.

She then looks at me with the same disgusted look at our initial encounter and says what I thought was, “Can I help you?” in an extremely harsh and rushed tone.  I then placed my order with her, which was a large peach cooler shaker.  I then told her I was a rewards member and if she could input my phone number.  She then rolled her eyes and told me to hit the cancel button.  She continues to be disgusted with me, especially more now that she had to input my phone number.

She then goes to make my drink, all the while displaying actions of anger that I was in the store.  This was evident by her visibly throwing the metal shaker she used to make my drink loudly in the sink.  She then put my drink on the counter, which was almost full of ice and barely any liquid in the cup on the counter.  She did not say “Have a nice day” or “Thank you for stopping in.” She did not attempt to give me any more eye contact and was probably glad that I left. I was still polite to her and worded the comment  “thank you” and exited the store.

I would give a ZERO to this store if there was an option for that, but unfortunately, there is not.  First, I am appalled by this individual’s action.  She should NEVER, and I mean NEVER work with the public if she is going to have this kind of attitude with customers, not to mention a PAYING customer.  Secondly, I am convinced the reason why she had this kind of bad attitude is because the store was closing at 6 p.m., which I was not aware of when I entered (I looked up the store hours upon leaving the store).  I understand that a store needs to close, but if that was the case, then the door should have been locked, so PAYING customers could not enter the store.  Otherwise, you provide continued service until the business is closed.

I have never been treated so poorly in my life as a PAYING customer by any individual.  Word of advice to this gal with dark hair.  “If you dislike your job this much, as evident by your interaction with me, please do the public a favor, go and find a job where you DON’T have any interactions with other individuals.” I understand that individuals may have a bad day from time to time, but her attitude was NOT ACCEPTABLE by any standards!

I will never return to this Caribou Coffee store again and will share my negative experience on other social platforms to warn others of this individual AND to boycott this store moving forward.  I visit this store several times a week and the baristas at this location seem like they are always having a bad day and dislike their jobs, BUT this interaction with this dark-haired female has been the worst of them all and I am DONE. No one, PAYING customer or not should be treated in this manner.

Oh by the way, I checked my transaction history, and I did not receive credit for my purchase on this day (just as I thought I wouldn’t be based on this female’s interaction with me).

Caribou Coffee, this individual needs to be counseled on her behavior, if not the very least, a verbal warning.  It is NOT okay to treat a PAYING customer like this, no matter if she had a bad day or if she is ready to close the store.

*REACHED OUT TO CARIBOU COFFEE RELATIONS 1 WEEK AGO, AND NO RESPONSE. NICE...

This is the worst caribou but not only that it has the worst service I have ever experienced. My mom, sister, and I stopped in to just get a couple drinks and snacks. There was no one else in the store when we got there. The lady at the front counter who had reddish dyed hair was very quiet when we were kind and trying to talk to her but that’s not the problem. After taking our order and after us getting our drinks and one of our food items from the end of the counter, we were walking towards the door when I stopped to ask if it were possible to have a tiny cup of whip cream for my dog in the car. She cut me off and told me they no longer do that unless I wanted to pay extra which is absolutely not true because I go to three caribou locations around my home and they all still give us whip cream in a tiny cup if we ask. Then my mom noticed we didn’t get one of the food items we ordered so she asked if we could get it and the lady interrupted her, snapped at her and told her she was already aware we were missing an item but she can’t do anything because she can’t move. Which for one how on earth were we suppose to know that. She could have simply said “oh yes my coworker is on it!” Also there was absolutely no need for the attitude at all as we were extremely polite and happy the whole time. This lady had reddish dyed hair and was crouching behind the bakery counter. If she had a wheel chair or truly couldn’t move we honestly couldn’t see it. I also am disabled and utilize a service dog to be functional in public so I get it. It gets old telling people you can’t do certain things but when you work in a job where people don’t clearly know that you can at least be kind and say “Oh My coworkers on it already”. Please educate your employees on how to be polite. I don’t understand how someone that rude and snarky could be working a customer...

One could say that a chain coffee shop will be the same no matter where you go, but the fact is the employees and management make a difference from shop to shop. Though I love local coffee houses, they are not always on my way to the places I have to be. Brands such as Caribou you can find in most places around the upper-midwest and in Minnesota particularly.

That being said, I've had the chance to speak into several Caribou Coffee buildings. The one things that stays the same regardless of location is the decor and log-cabin style atmosphere. It's warm and brings a sense of home to those of us who spend much of our time in the wilderness or up at our own cabins throughout the year.

The thing that is not always guaranteed, however, is the warmth and genuine care that this particular staff shows. The first time I stopped into the shop, the barista I had the chance of interacting with gave me recommendations on the drinks I may like based on my order. Her attitude was welcoming and present in the conversation; it felt much like a meeting up with an old friend on a chance encounter.

The second time I visited the shop, a different barista took my oder with care at the crack of dawn. Throughout a brief time enjoying my food and drink, I heard him take note of the patrons who frequent this location by greeting each by name even if their oder was pick up. As I left the shop, I felt the same welcoming spirit thank me by name and wish me a good day. People like that are what make the difference between a place you get coffee and a place you want to return for coffee.

They've gone above and beyond what most places are capable of. I highly recommend this location if you are looking for a Caribou Coffee shop...