Madis Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I had appalling customer service today. To illustrate a similar story to mine, imagine an art student wanting to paint a portrait with green skin to convey a specific aesthetic. If the teacher intervenes, dictating the student's artistic choices, you'd expect the student to push back. That's what I did when I asked for a simple request: blending ice cubes in my iced coffee. The clerk and manager, Yianni, refused, citing concerns about the drink becoming watery. I assured them I knew the outcome and wanted it exactly that way, and I certainly did NOT want them to substitute frappe -- I just wanted them to use the blender right there at their fingertips. Still, they refused.

Their paternalistic attitude was offensive. As a customer, I expect my easily fulfilled requests to be accommodated. It's not about the staff's personal taste, but about respecting my choices. I warned them I'd write a negative review, but they didn't budge.

The owner should take note: customers appreciate respect for their preferences. A little empowerment for your staff to say "yes" (when reasonable) would go a long way. Their behavior today was like someone slapping a ketchup bottle out of my hands because THEY hate the taste of it on THEIR food. It's my coffee, not theirs. Let me decide how I want it. Geez!

The only reason your review was not 1 star was that the chickpea sandwich was tasty. This place has potential. Don't blow it with crappy...

As much as I love Madis for the obvious reasons like insanely delicious food, insanely tasty coffee and matcha, the friendliest staff ever (I never talked to them, but some of them actually remember my name because I go there regularly), and possibly the Top 1 coffee shop at Philly, there’s just one thing I hate —— it’s always crowded.

If you want takeouts, this is the place to go. If you want to dine in without staying for long, this is the place to go. If you want to just hang out with friends, this is the place to go.

BUT, if you want to study or work, you need to come as early as possible to secure a seat with outlets. Thankfully it opens at 7am on weekdays.

Based on my observations as a regular who prefers a cozy, quiet study space, 7-9:30am, Madis is a paradise. 9:30am, most seats get occupied by the regulars (including me). 10-10:30am, the shop gets filled with lousy customers. 10:30am-5pm, it’s a lottery to get a seat, and it’s impossible to get any second of quietness. Noise cancellation headphones don’t work because they don’t filter out human voices. I recommend against coming during this period if you care a lot about quietness and concentration. 5pm-7pm, Madis becomes a paradise again...

Some of the worst low quality arabica/robusta blends I’ve had. The coffee is seriously bad and the baked items I have had here have all been stale. They have “specialty coffee roasters” on their sign, which seems like false advertising. The seating area is good, so I will give it an extra star for that. The space and branding have potential, but it’s just a shame that their roasters are so incompetent and the rest of their food and drink recipes don’t seem to be very well developed. Seems to be a good example of a business spending all of its money and effort on marketing, rather than the actual products. I really wanted to like this place because I live just across the street, but have been very disappointed. Moreover, the people who work there are some of the least friendly workers I’ve encountered, which was a little jarring. It’s a fairly new coffee shop, so there is still hope they can turn...