The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room — Restaurant in Oakland

The Crown opened its door on Broadway Auto Row in 2019 when I was still in nursing school. I’ve frequented this place over the last 6 years and have a better sense of what The Crown is and what it isn’t. Keep in mind that I know very little about coffee, I just love drinking it.

The Crown is more than just a coffee shop. It is a hub for coffee professionals or coffee enthusiasts who want to learn more about green coffee sourcing, roasting methods, cupping, and more. But The Crown also open up its space to intersect and connect different communities: your local music band, florist, and artists. It’s also a beautiful space for people (like me) to visit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Whether or not you fit into any of those categories, The Crown offers its visitors a unique opportunity to try coffee beans with traditional and experimental processing methods from all over the world. So they usually offer 2 different types of espresso, pour over, and batched brew. Some visitors have complained about the complicated menu, but it’s really meant to encourage people to strike up a conversation with the barista and ask questions about the interesting coffee bean that they’ve sourced! I don’t think The Crown is trying to be this snobby exclusive place for coffee connoisseurs. One of the barista who used to work there said that they would make observations and note down customers feedback on their rotating menu to understand whether a new processing method would do well in the bigger coffee market. Sometimes the flavor of the coffee can be very experimental, and that’s kind of the point. What’s really cool is the barista gets the chance to create their own drinks that get featured on the menu for a few weeks. I love that the company provides their staff space to test their skills and creativity.

I want to address a few bad reviews about their customer service experience: I’ve visited coffee shops from all over the world, and I would say The Crown is not the kind of place where you can expect the barista to welcome you with a chirpy voice every time you walk into their shop. The service industry is tough, and we can’t expect the barista to be welcoming and happy-go-lucky all the time. Their location is in a slightly rough part of Oakland. They deal with random crisis throughout the week that customers are not always aware of: e.g. mental health crisis from an unhoused person, robbery, car chasing, etc. What I do know is that they are kind. I have seen on many occasions when the staff welcome in, make free coffee, and have conversations with their unhoused neighbors; the barista are not chatty, but when you strike a conversation with them, they are attentive and take interest in your questions. If you are looking for a coffee shop with barista who enthusiastically make small talks with you, this place is not it. Kindness doesn’t have to be loud or performative.

TLDR: The Crown is a very special place. I love that it’s located in Oakland, which is also a very special and vibrant place despite the crime. It’s a place for coffee professionals, coffee enthusiasts, and just anyone who loves coffee. It’s not perfect, but it’s not trying to be. The staff are humans, they have good days and bad days but they show up and try their best. If you are looking for a coffee shop that has delicious and sometimes experimental coffee; this is the place. The bonus is you’ll also learn a thing or two about coffee...

Update. I love the response. I've never had that kind of experience before. I have a blog about coffeeshops. So I've been around. You seem to miss that the starting point was the staff having zero problem making me wait for a while because they were catching up... That is quite different than serving clients! You're service industry I believe. So are you in business to make money or talk to friends? A little "let me help this customer and I'll get back to you" would have been a sign of respect. I would have even gone for "I'll be right with you". We would not be talking right now ... You know, I learned something from this episode (and thanks for that), have you? BTW, peace comes with respect ... Wow. The worst experience ever at a coffeeshop. First of all, the barista chitchat with regular clients for a while, and they haven't even ordered. Totally ignoring me waiting. I made a comment about it and of course became immediately the bad guy with the attitude. I asked if I could have a direct pour for the espresso. And of course they have a protocol (they know what their are doing for sure). Must be a generation thing. To me, it's rude to let someone wait in line for a while because you're catching with friends. And the kid behind the counter thought I was the one rude because I expressed my surprise the ''friends'' had not even ordered yet. I guess making sure that what you're doing doesn't affect others is a thing of the past 🤔 Oh they were regulars he said. I see: you're a regular, you're well treated, you're new, you're unimportant and they don't give a shit about you! Lovely place with a...

The Crown is an amazing facility and cafe, the design and look of this coffee mecca are amazing and well hidden from view (from the street). More than just a cafe The Crown is a coffee supplier and coffee tech hub. The offer training and numerous resources for the local and national coffee industry. I decided that for my first visit I would go straight up with an espresso shot... My sense was that this should be THE place to experience the creme de la creme of espresso in it's most raw form and enjoy the pure essence of coffee... Unfortunately, I ended up being served (after about 10 minutes) the most bitter espresso I have ever had in my coffee drinking lifetime (40+ yrs). I felt like I needed to say something and I am glad I did. After letting the staff know what I was experiencing, they did not question me or try and create excuses but instead engaged me in a discussion about various aspects of preparation and brewing, as well as, offered me a re-do of the shot. The replacement shot was very, very good and much closer to my original expectations. I ended up having a great discussion with the barrista about coffee, wine and other tasting notes and flavor profiles... I also ended taking away a pound of one of their green bean varietals, which I am very much looking forward to roasting at home... I am also looking to return visits when I am in the...