The Gallery Espresso — Restaurant in Savannah

At our school, we are not allowed to get in our cars and leave so walking is our only form of transportation. We are given 45 minutes for lunch so that leaves us with limited options for air-conditioned places to sit down and eat our lunch. Gallery Espresso was our go-to. It was comfortable and the staff was friendly. It was the perfect shelter from the terribly hot and humid Savannah temperature. We have been going here for the past four years with the same routine: we pack up after third period ends, we sign out and head to Gallery, everyone that is able to purchase even a small coffee does so, we all have lunch together, clean up after ourselves, and leave peacefully to go to our next class. I must state this important fact that every time we go to Gallery, we (as a group) make sure that those who have money and can afford it buys at least two things. The people that cannot afford to purchase anything from Gallery usually bring their lunch from home so we can eat as a class which is about 10 people (it is a small school)...however, only about 5 of us actually go to Gallery while the rest settles for another local restaurant or other options. Our time spent at Gallery Espresso came to a halt when we (me and two other classmates, at the time) were approached by a woman that was perceived to be the owner of the establishment. She came to us letting us know that she had noticed that the two people sitting with me possessed lunches that they had brought from home. They did not have the money to purchase anything from Gallery at the time. We, of course, did not expect her to know that. She then said that if we were not going to purchase anything, then they were going to have to leave because they were technically not paying customers and it was right before the lunch-rush for Gallery. This was perfectly understandable. Space availability for paying customers is important to any sit-down food establishment. After she had left, we finished our food and left. We went the next day and did the same thing we have done for lunch nearly every school day for the past four years: Unfortunately, lunch at Gallery Espresso the day after that peaceful lunch was not as pleasant. Approximately 2 minutes after we had sat down, we were approached by the same woman that had come up to us before in a much more harsh manner. She explained that she had been “watching us for weeks” and that she had noticed we bring in outside food every time we come into the establishment. She said that it is also extremely rude being as Gallery Espresso is an operating restaurant and she has “bills to pay”. She threatened to kick us out if we were not paying customers. Some of what was said was valid and reasonable...while other parts of what was mentioned did not make any sense and was completely unreasonable. First of all, if she had been watching us for weeks, then she would have seen that we do, in fact, make sure that we are paying customers. Second of all, we are not discourteous. We have never encountered the problem where there were no more seats left for any already established or potential buying customers. We have discussed with our class that if we are ever encountered with that situation, the people that are not paying customers in our group would make sure that there was a suitable place for them to comfortably dwell. In addition to this, I do not think I have ever heard of anyone dismissing a coffee shop or any retail establishment due to the fact that there are people inside. If anything, I think seeing that there are people inside would help the establishment’s business. Whether Gallery cares to admit it or not, our school as a whole was a pretty decent contributor to the business, but sadly, I do not think we can continue to go to Gallery Espresso if this is how they treat their customers...and especially their...

Gallery Espresso: Savannah’s oldest coffee shop- I guess they forgot about Savannah Coffee Roasters, who’ve been open since 1909. But, given the state of their facilities, I can’t be surprised by the absent mindedness.

Gallery Espresso succeeds in creating an environment uncannily reminiscent of a dead grandmother’s estate sale. Cluttered seating and poor walk space creates a feeling of claustrophobia. Products and items available for purchase are almost inaccessible due to the narrow thoroughfare, and when busy, it’s shoulder to shoulder with other customers. It’s also hard to determine what is actually for sale due to the visual clutter.

While Gallery boasts a decent variety of teas and products, the limited accessibility and seating options makes it hard to dine in. On the subject of poor accommodations, while the path to the register is technically wheelchair accessible, the single access ramp leaves bound customers no option but to roll down the ramp they came from- Which is the only path to the register and creates a feeling of a cattle run.

Menu items lack visible pricing, making it hard for the customer to know what exactly they’re paying for. Signage is not centralized and scattered, such as paper Print-outs randomly taped into pillars facing opposite the register, and lack any eye-catching characteristics to draw you in.

Given how cluttered the place was, I didn’t dare to venture to the restrooms. I was afraid the toilets might be similarly decorated- In fact, there may not have been toilets. I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded those for a velvet boudoir.

The last thing I have to offer is the strange attitudes of some of the staff. Savannah is something of a queer haven in Georgia, and is generally lauded as one of the most progressive cities in the southeast. I was then taken aback by some of the disrespectful and bigoted comments, behavior, and attitudes some of staff (the worst offender turned out to be the owner herself?) demonstrated towards a few customers. If you’re LGBT and looking for work here in Savannah, I’d be cautious in considering a position here, and a would further encourage you to pursue...

Was in the area and decided to check this place out.

Pros: It’s a decent coffee shop tons of seating options Decent sized menu Good place to study or read

Cons: Ordered a chicken salad croissant sandwich with a coke and a slice of cherry cheesecake. The food was decent. Just did not like how the sandwich completely fell apart making it super messy to eat.

Second was how pricey the food was. For the amount I paid, I could’ve gotten a higher quality of meal at one of the other restaurants across the street.

Third, I have to agree with what another person had posted an earlier review. This place has a slight pretentious vibe. Having traveled a lot, I’ve been to more than my fair share of various coffee shops that are far more unique, eclectic or have a fun vibe. This place far from compares. I love how welcoming majority of places in Savannah are but this is not one of them. The baristas either had emotionless, stern or annoyed facial expressions.

Fourth, the cushioned chairs and sofas are completely worn out. They look nice provide no support. You will fall into them once you sit down. Probably 90% of the patrons were using the wooden chairs most likely due to the this issue.

Overall, I guess it’s a decent place if you want or find a calm place to study other than the library. However, if I’m showing visiting friends around the area and want to grab a coffee and some snacks, I’ll more than likely take them to one of the other coffee shops in the area.

Update: With half of my cheesecake left when I needed to head out, I asked the staff for a to go box. They said that they would have to charge me a fee for the to go container. I don’t think I’ve ever been told that before. Even more annoyed with the place, I left the cheesecake. It wasn’t good enough to pay extra to take my...