Sway Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Baristas are not nice, at least not if you look certain type of way (Latino). The last 3 times I’ve visited: 1. The barista was too busy on a phone call and gave me dirty looks to me & my mom, like we were annoying her, I wasn’t even in a rush, so I didn’t interrupt her long, personal conversation, we waited and when she finally was ready, she was the one hurrying me in to order fast, cause she was about to get back at her phone call. 2. A long hair barista gave me dirty looks and an attitude, because he didn’t “See me” tipping him cash… I paid with card and put $3 cash tip on the jar, when he handed me my coffee, he asked me if I was “done” with my transaction ?? I said yes & thank you…. He started talking low voice and gave me a nasty look.. (I swear I regretted tipping this person) and just this past week, I ordered, paid in cash, tipped the lady and even made sure she saw me tipping this time… and after she handed me my order, I left the store and she came after me to the street asking me to pay her!!! Like??? I just paid you & tipped you cash!!! And then she was: “Oh I’m sorry it’s the owner who told me to ask you”… like if you as an owner don’t appreciate business from certain type of customers… I don’t think you should be open to the public then. Literally living around the corner, I’ve been getting coffee & croissants from this place since they first open around 5 years ago, trying to support local & small businesses… but customer service quality has decreased lately, making me go just 2 stores down or 3 stores up and get same coffee & sandwich without dealing with horrible customer service or feeling that my barista looks at me in a certain type of way. It’s a shame cause every day more and more businesses in the neighborhood close due to multiple factors, like horrible service or discrimination… it’s almost 2024 and having so many options around, I won’t stick spending money and tipping employees that forget they are not better than me or anyone… we’re all just humans! Like if you even think deeper, they should appreciate that they still on business...

I’m not one to post reviews of places, but I think constructive criticism is important to make a place that has potential better.

I went to Sway today (Monday Nov. 2nd), and was greeted by an unfriendly barista. I can get by that, but he continued to take our order and then make our drinks without his mask on- and even rubbed his face and hair without gloves and continued to make our drinks without washing up, etc. It was unsettling, rude, and exactly what baristas are not supposed to do during the pandemic. But admittedly, I let it go, paid and left with the drinks.

The cherry on top was that the drinks, two oat milk lattes, tasted horrible- the shots did not pour correctly, milk was steamed poorly, etc. I’m not a picky or criticism-heavy person, but it was undrinkable. We threw the drinks out and continued to a different coffee shop.

I’m extra disappointed because I went to Sway for the first time a week or two ago, and had a great flat white (made by a different barista than was present today).

Hopefully Sway turns some of this issues around, it’s a great vibe and spot- just has some very rough spots in terms of safety and quality- or at least when pertaining to this...

I'm putting these 2 stars only for the long hair guy who serves here, he has treated me excellent all the times I have visited. Today I visited this place to order a croissant, I patiently waited on the counter to be served for around 5 mins because I saw staff busy. Then 7 mins... then 8... and nobody reached out to me to ask what I needed, so I checked and the waitress (skinny one, black hair and braces on her teeth /don't know her name ) was laughing and gossiping with the coworker while I was waiting.

I thought it was very rude of her doing the gossiping and wasting time while I was waiting to be served. This is not the attention I am used to recieve in this place, I was unpleasantly surprised. I hope they change the staff or get this lady to improve because that was very rude of her, I may not come...