Forever Coffee — Restaurant in New York

Forever used to be THE best breakfast and coffee spot in the neighborhood but they seem to have lost their love of what they do in recent years. I get it, the people of this neighborhood can grind anyone down, but they've dropped their friendly and helpful facade entirely.

I was a huge Stan of theirs (and their Falafel spin-off) for many years. Since then, they've been phoning it in and their care for their own business has dwindled so heavily to the point to where I rarely patron them anymore because it feels like a gamble.

I haven't seen any improvements made to their overall front-of-house aesthetic in many years, and it sorely needs a lift, because it feels kinda depressing. Their order counter is pinched in a back corner and the entire workflow of everything just feels strange because nobody seems to know how to navigate it--you have to squeeze back there just to see what paltry pastries they may (or may not) have. The design choices are just strange and likely contributes to their recurring issues.

They still legit still have some of the best bagel sandwiches and coffee in the neighborhood, with a few caveats:

First off, expect that any sandwich you order is never going to made with the bread you order it on. They'll call you and ask you to change it because they're constantly out of stock on so many things, even if it's at 10am on a weekday and all you want is an everything bagel.

Second, expect that if you customize your sandwich order, the chances that something is certainly going to be left out is pretty high--the attention to detail is just not there. I can't tell you the amount of times I've paid for chipotle mayo only to have it be left off entirely. Same with missing avocado/veggies. Forever owes me at least $30 in mayo I never received, I swear.

Sometimes the staff in front can be friendly, other times you'll be shrugged off and ignored entirely. The kitchen works ungodly slow. I guess they're just living up to their namesake.

All that said, they make the best Oaxaca Spiced Mocha in the city. I'll die on that hill. But it's only available in the winter months.

They buy their bagels from Davidovich, which knows how to make a pretty mean baked good. They load their sandwiches up with cheese and toppings most of the time, and never skimp.

I think they just need a little spark to lift them back out of the funk they're in and I hope the community can give it to them, because if they ceased to exist like their falafel counterpart, I'd be pretty bummed about it. They've got to start caring a bit more again for people to see how great...

I usually love this place but when I stopped by today I attempted to pay in cash and was told that while they do accept cash they don’t give change back so I would need to pay the exact amount or I wouldn’t get any change. This is outrageous and essentially stealing peoples money! This coffee shop is in a low income immigrant community where cash is still a dominant payment method so when they deny people change thus making it next to impossible to actually pay in cash they are blocking people from the neighborhood out of accessing this coffee shop and tailoring to gentrifiers who are more likely to be able to pay with a card. Also not accepting cash is illegal in NYS so I would guess that “accepting cash but only if it’s exact” would constitute not actually accepting cash and therefore would be illegal also. This shop should rethink their policy around cash especially given where they...

I really want to like this place, but every time I go in I have a terrible experience. Today I went in and ordered two caramel macchiatos to go. The barista immediately said in a rather rude tone “we make them the traditional way”. Once I received the macchiatos, I asked for lids. The barista scoffed and said “no”, and gave me a look like I was asking for his social security number. I requested larger cups with lids and he placed one cup on the counter with no lid. I grabbed my own lid from the top of the espresso machine, even though that’s definitely not a covid 19 safe behavior. Then had to combine the macchiatos into one cup, therefore leaving with one drink instead of two, so I didn’t get any coffee. I think I offended him by not appreciating his foam art even though I did give him a 50% tip. This place is too pretentious for the...