Catalyst Coffee Bar — Restaurant in Saint Albans City

If I could give zero stars I would. We are visiting from Ontario and were so excited to try this shop! The owner was beyond rude to me and the coffee was terrible. I ordered a maple macchiato and asked for 2 small cups of water for my children. The order came to $9. When I asked about the price for a drink she informed me each water was $2 for a bottle. I said I didn't need bottled water and just needed some from the tap. She rudely told me she would charge me $2 regardless for a cup of water. I completely understand companies having to cover costs, but if you can't provide your paying customers with a cup of tap water, you need to re-evaluate. And even IF she needed to cover costs, $2 for a cup of tap water is ridiculous. At that point you should just state that you don't serve cups of water Although The most insane part of the the whole interaction though was being accosted by this woman for simply asking why it was so much. She continued to tell me I know nothing about running a business, even after I told her I myself own one! Her attitude was rude and completely uncalled for and I am honestly dumbfounded how this woman is in business. When I told her that this was bad business her employee then stepped in and told me to leave the shop (as if I would actually stay there after being harassed by this woman!). Honestly, people who treat their customers like this do NOT deserve to stay...

The worker on the front was very sweet but the old big woman was not at all, and on our experience she was rude impolite and demanding addressing an issue mostly handled in an hostile attitude. The bakery from the front had overcooked dryness combined with a consistency dryness of a bakery that has been left outside in a glass container with lid for many hot days as well as the faint musty smell emanated from it the pastry as it was chewed, the crust had a a bit of over overdone burnt taste that wasn't plesant. Sorry it lacked the qualities of a fresh of the usual pastry by far. I was going to overlook the pastry experience for the evening but the attitude of the old woman overtook the experience with the excuse of people "working very hard". Perhaps she worked hard on her improved baking? A better coffee? Or better couches to sit upon? Or better people skills and attitude? Or use the excuse me, sorry for the interruption, thankyou very much for understanding phrases? Its a mystery how a place with a little of good looks and mediocre coffee still stands in this economy. My last thoughts to share are, that girl in the front memorizing the names of all customers deserves a promotion with better benefits for her outstanding compromise in performance and that all the coffee needs its a new...

Alright, people, gather 'round. If you find yourself in Saint Albans and you need a cup of joe that doesn’t taste like hot regret, you go to Catalyst. They’ve got the coffee game on lockdown. The other places? They’ll hand you a cup of something hot, but for the good stuff, you gotta pony up and head to Catalyst.

The place is cute—real charming. You walk in, and it's like stepping into a hipster zoo. You've got your wannabe entrepreneurs, failed comedians, and every other character trying to look busier than they are. Get there early, and you’ll bump into the good ol’ boys club. These guys are there every morning, acting like it's their own private boardroom. They stay just long enough that the coffee processes and they blow up the bathroom on the way out.

Now, if you’re after their cold brew, you better hustle. That liquid gold runs out by noon, and if you show up late, you'll be left empty-handed, crying over your lukewarm drip coffee.

The internet works, the staff won’t bite your head off, and you can usually find a table to set up and look important. Definitely worth a visit. They've got a few seats outside too, just watch out for the methheads—they’re like Vermont’s version...