Cupanion's Kitchen + Coffee — Restaurant in Sandy Springs

I frequent quite a few coffee shops in the area to sit and get some work done so I was excited to try a new place, but as soon as we walked in, that excitement was quickly squashed.

There were a lot of empty tables inside, but there were already order numbers sitting on top of most of them so we were confused whether the tables were actually open or not. Turns out, they are trying to discourage people from sitting before ordering. Usually when at a cafe, we set our bag down at a table and then go order, but we were told by the cashier that we would have to order first before sitting down. We hadn’t looked at a menu before coming in, so we had to awkwardly stand at the entrance and ended up just ordering coffee so we could sit down. The two iced lattes cost $17 which is ridiculously expensive compared to all the other coffee shops we frequent. We ended up not ordering food because of this.

While ordering, we also noticed a weird list of off putting rules. The main ones included limiting computer and wifi usage to an hour, and the wifi is also disabled after 11 am. As people who came to this cafe specifically to try and do some work out of the house, this obviously meant we wouldn’t be coming back here.

I’m writing this review while still sitting inside, looking at empty tables around us wondering why this all day coffee shop and brunch cafe discourage people from taking up space in this place of business. It’s small inside but so is everywhere else we go and drink coffee and eat and work. We also felt like we were being treated like children, and that because of the way we look we were not valued as much as other customers.

Will not be...

I have never been to a coffee shop/cafe with so many rules. 17$ for two coffees and we were treated like we were entering some exclusive club instead of a run of the mill cafe. We weren’t allowed to sit down before ordering our drinks—they treated us like children and I watched who I’m assuming to be the manager smirk at us while looming behind the cashier (who was very sweet and I’m sorry they have to enforce these asinine rules, I can only imagine how toxic this workplace is)

AND!!! The 17$ coffees are so incredibly mid—the barista over pulled the espresso shot so they’re both super acidic.

SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!! Go anywhere else where you will be treated like a valued customer. Charging 17$ for two drinks and not even filling up the cup all the way or serving them in glass wear is diabolical.

Update: the kitchen staff need to chill smashing that bell it’s incredibly annoying. Run the food yourself instead.

Also the seating is so uncomfortable idk why they even need an hour limit ALSO the ‘you can’t sit before you order’ only applies to certain customers. I’ve watched 3+ parties sit down without ordering and no one...

For those with European (small, fresh, subtle) tastes rather than American (large, processed, plentiful) tastes, it’s not always easy to find the right place for a modern brunch. Cupanion hit the spot.

The oat milk cappuccino was available in a single shot size and showed the artistic talent of the barista. Freshly-squeezed orange juice, rare in these parts, was delicious. And the avocado toast was surprisingly tasty: the toast was light and crisp, contrasting perfectly with the mashed avocado (NOT bulked out with onions). Cheese, charred corn, arugula, radish and paprika were applied in perfect proportions - enhancing rather than smothering the dish.

The place was popular and busy, Sunday brunch style, lots of young families and a couple of friendly pups too. Seats inside and out, lots of parking adjacent. Food was served promptly. The staff were friendly and engaging. The name “Cupanion” doesn’t work for me personally but that’s a small price to pay for a remarkably positive brunch and coffee experience somewhere between Buckhead and...