Coffee Cloud — Restaurant in New York

I never write Google reviews but I felt compelled to after the terrible experience I just had in this establishment.

An older woman sat down next to my friend and me. As a nurse, I quickly noticed she was showing signs of early dementia, repeatedly asking the same questions. I'd point it out to my friend to confirm we both heard the same thing. Encountering patients with dementia is not unusual for me—in fact, my own great-grandmother had dementia before she passed—nor is it something I find amusing. Regardless, neither of us would ever find dementia funny or make fun of someone who is ill.

The friend I was with is a close friend of many years. We spent the afternoon working and catching up because he was visiting from Cali. It’s normal for us (or any friends) to laugh with one another. We shared memes, talked about our lives, and made fun of each other like close friends do all afternoon, but apparently you can’t laugh in this establishment without being accused of mocking other patrons.

After the woman left, the barista approached us with piercing eyes, a condescending tone, and an openly confrontational stance, saying, “Just so you know, that woman has dementia.” Bewildered by the sudden hostility, I simply nodded in silence. However, she went on to accuse us of laughing at the woman and making fun of her, to which I calmly explained that we were not. Unmoved, she scoffed, rolled her eyes, and walked away. For the rest of our time there, she made us feel like the scum of the earth (we were seated directly in front of her at the bar). At one point, she was wiping down the counter, and my friend politely said, “Oh, sorry,” and moved his laptop to give her space, but she outright ignored him.

I would never take the time to write such a lengthy review if we’d actually done something wrong. But we did nothing more than sit, laugh, and catch up with an old friend at a cafe. As someone who has chosen a career dedicated to caring for the sick, I couldn’t find humor in their struggles even if I tried. In fact, we were texting each other how bad we felt for the lady and I can provide screenshots if needed.

To the Asian woman with two braids working the afternoon shift on 11/12/2024: while I understand your perspective, I encourage you to assess the situation fully or give the benefit of the doubt before you jump to conclusions and berate a customer. It was inappropriate and unprofessional. Someone with such a confrontational temperament should not be working in customer-facing roles.

I’m a small foodie content creator on TIkTok (this is a throwaway account in case she is vindictive), and it’s safe to say I will not be coming here again, nor will I recommend it to anyone—In fact, I will be doing the opposite.

P.S. The fact that she had her bf/husband (she called him “Love”) sit in the cafe all day with two (very hyper) tiny dogs that were clearly not service animals was also very concerning. If I’m not wrong, live animals are not allowed in any indoor food establishments in NYC.

P.P.S. For anyone reading this, Under Pressure Coffee down the street has MUCH better coffee, better selection of food, and way friendlier staff. Plenty of seating (indoor/outdoor) with outlets as well. Highly...

As a patient with depression, I recently took a break from my college studies to receive treatment. Following my doctor's advice that a change of environment could be beneficial for my symptoms, I decided to go to coffee cloud. I brought my laptop with me, hoping to make progress on my degree, but when I bought a drink, there were no available seats. I had to wait in the hallway. Eventually, a customer told me she was leaving and offered me her seat. I had barely set my laptop down, less than a minute, when a cashier who seemed to appear out of nowhere, startled me. In a very rude tone, she told me laptops were not allowed at that table and then walked away. There was no explanation, or even a simple "excuse me." I was confused. I had never heard of a cafe not allowing laptops, and even if it's coffee Cloud's policy, I felt the staff member could have explained it more politely. To my disbelief, that rude staff member then sat at the "no laptop" table and started using her phone. It seems odd that coffee cloud doesn't simply remove that table or designate it as a staff only table, rather than misleading customers. My symptoms worsened today after spending time at coffee Cloud, and I would advise anyone planning to work on a laptop to avoid this store. Laptops are clearly not...

Ugh! Such a bummer to be giving this place 3 stars!! I’ve been going to this boutique coffee shop since they open their doors in Oct 21’. It was a great escape to g to for coffee and an even greater ambiance. You’d see a good mixture of families, people working, friends catching up etc. As a new mom I used to just come in here and tuck away while the little one slept or even after our walks. Now I feel like an intruder! Nowadays it’s ALL heavily saturated and occupied with laptops and looks to be silent when you come in with a kid . It’s a very “Wework “ environment , very uninviting for anyone else. It’s such a bummer because my family used to love to set here and have a coffee. The staff is friggin amazing and I miss dropping by to see them and enjoy conversations like before. Now with stroller in tow I’m not quite the caliber of peeps who go in there now. Also, they offer reward points which I love! Just have to sign up by text/email. Still love this place though for the great coffee, great staff, and lovely Greek...