The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf — Restaurant in Riverside

I came in here to study and have some coffee this morning. I walked in with a $600 electric scooter. The manager speedily met me at the table I was setting my stuff down beside. She blurted out " You can't have that scooter in here." I said, "why not?" She said it is a safety hazard. I folded it and said I can stow it under my table that it's as dangerous as a chair. She said no its against company policy to have scooters and bikes in here and then dashed to the back of the store. I stood there dumbfounded. I came here to study for a while and have some coffee, this manager was unprofessional and curt. I requested from an employee to have the manager come back out so I can speak with her. She asked what it was regarding. I told the employee and she looked at the scooter stowed away and said, " I don't see anything wrong with it." I said let me talk to your manager though, she came out again and I told her, this is an expensive scooter, I don't feel comfortable leaving it outside to get stolen. Side note: this area is filled with homeless people wandering around, it is not safe to leave your stuff unattended. She again was very curt but ended up agreeing to let me keep it in a separate area of the store, where it would be safe and nobody would take it. This area of the store had tables with chairs stacked on top of them near the front door.. I placed it there and then had to ask for the manager again, inquiring if it was okay to set the chair down so I can sit there with my scooter. She stated "no that area is closed off" and told me nobody will mess with it there.

The entire encounter felt like harassment. It may be my imagination, but it is still mention worthy that this is a white lady in charge speaking to a brown skinned male customer. I must also note, meanwhile there's a homeless man with a huge military sized duffel bag set on top of a stroller in the store. The homeless man is sitting there, unharassed. Get your manager, she acting up...

UPDATE: BUSTLING & BREW-TIFUL! Central’s Coffee Bean is a favorite for college students, shoppers, and freeway travelers. The staff always have a great disposition and KNOW the menu. It’s refreshing when baristas are familiar with the drink options like the back of their hand. The guy who helped us was sweet, he very was professional. Also, I love seeing a diverse crew, it’s a very inclusive space.

I stopped by for a Pumpkin Crème Cold Brew because this location is one of the best in the area when it comes to specialty drinks. We ordered three drinks and some egg bites, our order was out in a jiffy. I highly recommend the egg bites, they’re perfectly eggy and have the right density.

Central’s Coffee Bean is neat, clean and spacious. I LOVE their long tables and minimalist decor. Counter snacks are well-stocked and signage is clear.

Note: Restrooms require a code.

PREVIOUS:

Excellent Coffee bean with many options! I always have an ice blended drink when I come to coffee bean and I’m on cloud nine as I exit the door. I recently had the cookie butter ice blended drink at this location and I was very happy with it! The store is always very clean and the staff is super upbeat and friendly. It always annoys me that baristas are snooty like at Starbucks but I never run into that issue here. It’s a cool, fun-loving environment with nice people. It’s close to the movie theater which is also...

I recently visited the drive-thru at this Riverside Plaza location, and unfortunately, I had a very disappointing experience. I placed an order for two regular-sized drinks: one iced vanilla latte with oat milk and one iced hazelnut latte with oat milk. I handed my phone to the barista with my free drink barcode from the Coffee Bean app and explicitly asked her to scan it to apply my free drink. However, she didn’t say a word, simply scanned it, and proceeded to take my debit card for the payment on the other drink.

When I received the drinks, I waited for a receipt, but the barista said, “You have all you need,” and closed the window. After driving away, I discovered that we were given two iced vanilla lattes, both with an unpleasant taste resembling soapy water. I then checked my banking app, only to find that I had been charged $14.30 for the order, which is far more than what two regular-sized drinks should cost.

This is not the first time I’ve had issues at this location—previous visits have also been marked by poor service and unprofessional behavior from the staff. I’ve always enjoyed Coffee Bean, but these repeated experiences have left me very frustrated and...