Wake Up Call - GWay — Restaurant in Richland

Personally I understand how it happens that "baristas" today generally don't know what regular espresso drinks are, they mostly only know the special of the month and how to make it, along with the fruity, "fancy", complicated, multi-flavored drinks stereotypical of most coffee shop patrons (mochas, flavored lattes, etc.). So I might understand how it happens (because of the volume of people that frequent shops like this order those drinks) but I don't understand the why. I judge a coffee shop/company by how well it's employees make something as simple as a cappuccino . . . IF they even know what it is.

After literal years of failed attempts by employees of Black rock (and Roasters before that), the cappuccino I was served this time was the worst I'd ever had. It was akin to slightly warm milk with a hint of coffee due to the "barista" telling me she knew what it was then proceeded to fill the 12 ounce cup to the brim with slightly above room temperature milk, no foam, after adding the single, ground-filled shot. No steaming of the milk, let alone foaming, was involved.

One the simplest yet elegant coffee/espresso drinks . . . no soy, flavoring, or other complications/steps involved . . . and the employees of this company (and the previous before it) can't seem to even come close, instead getting further and further from what most of the rest of the world would consider Baristas.

I try to avoid negative reviews (writing or reading them), but no amount of effort over several years has seemed to reverse the trend so I felt it time to give up and write this review and to not patronize this...

I’ve visited this coffee shop several times recently, and while the atmosphere and the coffee are generally great, I've been increasingly frustrated with the service. Over the past month, I've experienced long wait times on three separate occasions, which is becoming a pattern rather than a one-off. The staff, as always, are friendly and hardworking, but the issue seems to stem from poor management and prioritization of orders. It’s clear that the staff are doing their best to keep up, but there doesn’t seem to be a system in place to handle the flow of orders efficiently. On multiple visits, I've noticed that drinks are being prepared in an order that doesn’t make sense—some customers who arrived after me were served first, and my order, a simple coffee, took much longer than more complex ones. While I understand busy periods are inevitable, the recurring nature of these delays points to a lack of adequate planning or support from the management team. The staff shouldn't be shouldering the blame for this issue; it’s the responsibility of the management to ensure there's enough support and proper systems in place to handle the volume, especially during peak hours. Overall, this coffee shop has a lot of potential, and when the service is on point, it’s excellent. I just hope management takes the necessary steps to improve the ordering process, because it’s a real downside to what could otherwise be a...

Current Review for Wake Up Call: The coffee chain Wake Up Call has decent tasting coffee. Most locations have very friendly service. At this particular location, the Geo-Way coffee house, the lobby wait is at least a minute or two before a customer receives attention as the baristas are attentive to the drive thru. The staff is very nice, although not always attentive. The drive thru has also been slower service (depending on the barista). It’s a comfortable location and nice to dine and catch up on work or read a book.

The George Washington Way coffee house is a great spot; located near the Howard Amon Park, The Community Center, The Richland Parkway. This coffee house has been operated under many different coffee chains (Some may remember when it was Espresso World in the early 2000’s). The patio is great during the warmer days and is a great place to hang out, enjoy the open atmosphere.

Previous Review for Black Rock Coffee rated 3 stars: BRC has absorbed Roaster’s old reviews so it is time for an update.

Unfortunately, I can only rate BRC 3 stars because their coffee doesn’t taste very good, the flavor falls flat and it isn’t as full tasting. One drink I found that I can drink is the Mexican Mocha. The service is good. But because I don’t like the taste of the coffee, I do not go there anymore.

Previous Review for Roasters rated 5 stars: Always good! Love the coffee...