Joe Coffee Company: Westfield at WTC — Restaurant in New York

As someone whose office is in the World Trade Center campus, Joe Coffee has become my essential daily stop. I've been coming here for quite a while now, and I genuinely appreciate what this shop brings to the area. It’s a friendly, consistent presence that truly caters to the residents and professionals working in this bustling part of the city. The quality of the coffee is, as always with Joe, excellent.

The main barista who typically works the espresso bar is fantastic—incredibly skilled, efficient, and friendly. However, this highlights a significant operational issue that has become increasingly apparent over time.

There seems to be a company policy that only this primary barista is "certified" to make drinks. Meanwhile, I've noticed other team members who have been there for a while are not permitted to step in and help during busy periods. I was even told once that they are not allowed to serve drinks until they complete a lengthy certification process.

While I fully support thorough training, the current situation creates an unreasonable bottleneck. During the morning rush and mid day, having one person responsible for 90% of espresso drinks leads to unavoidable delays, especially when they have to step away to use the restroom or their lunch break. For a business in such a high-traffic location, ensuring a consistent flow is crucial. It would greatly benefit both the staff and the customers if all team members were fully trained and empowered to serve, rather than relying so heavily on one individual.

This is meant as constructive feedback from a loyal customer. Joe Coffee WTC is a gem in the neighborhood, and with a small adjustment to its staffing strategy, it could operate even more smoothly and live up to its full potential. I’ll continue to be a regular, and I hope to see this...

Got an Ice latte. It tastes horrible. But worse than the coffee, it’s the barista’s attitude. Watching her adding some cold brew premix and milk in my coffee, then handing to me, I was like ummm is that my coffee? She was like yeah. I was Iike but the ice latte I normally get has expresso shot. She responded this is how we do ice latte, next time just order a regular ice latte.

I was in shock, because i was ordering a regular ice latte. Not only I got my order wrong, I also got a lecture from you on how to order an ice latte? There’s people in line, I need to go to work, so I just left with the $7 coffee and her attitude. Thanks that really...

Service can be better. I’ve visited several times before work and they’re not friendly at all. They don’t greet you, they just stare at you and wait for you to ask for something. Classic hipster barista attitude - ok I get it.

They are VERY vocal in soliciting for tips but I’ve never received a “thank you”. It’s like they expect a $1+ tip for filling a cup and being rude about it. Really strange shop and not sure why people go there. The coffee is just ok. It’s not as good as Blue Bottle or Toby’s. Won’t be returning...