Founders Grounds Coffee Company — Restaurant in Speedway

Wanted to shout out MALACHI for the absolutely wonderful, extra mile service today (10/2/24). I don't think I've been treated better dropping thousands at a car dealership, let alone at any coffee shop before.

Not to mention the coffee and food is good enough that I had to visit two days in a row. The options are incredible but can be overwhelming for a new, unfamiliar customer. Yesterday (our first visit ever) we didn't get any help from the cashier with navigating the menu and they weren't the friendliest. We all have bad days, it's understandable. But today was the complete opposite.

From the moment we walked in, MALACHI immediately acknowledged and greeted us with a smile. He immediately offered help in navigating the menu and gave excellent recommendations. We weren't informed about the punch card yesterday but today MALACHI made sure to tell us all about it and got us started!

As we were wrapping up, MALACHI checked in once again to make sure we were happy with our visit. UNPROMPTED, he followed up with personalized recommendations on new items to try for a future visit.

Between going the extra mile with the recommendations for future visits AND the punch card from earlier, THAT'S how you get a returning customer for life and that's what Malachi made of me today.

I cannot stress enough that he is quite possibly the kindest, most genuine and personable individual I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. For a brief moment I forgot that I was in a coffee shop and had mistaken it for a luxury fine dining experience. The LEVEL of care was UNMATCHED! As a result, I ended up picking up some merchandise on the way out to keep showing support for a wonderful business and team.

All this to say - in a world where so much negativity exists, it's incredible to find such a bright ray of sunshine in this little coffee shop.

I sincerely hope Malachi continues to receive the praise and recognition he deserves. If he isn't already a trainer/supervisor, he'd be the best candidate as he would be wonderful in leading by example.

Thank you Malachi and team!

Will be sure to stop by again whenever I'm...

Founders grounds is the best coffee house in Indianapolis, especially Speedway. Their breakfast sandwiches and pastries are fantastic, the coffee is the best in town, and being there feels like being in a coffee house that belongs in Speedway. The staff is incredibly friendly and accurate and treat you like a friend in their living room who came by to hang out.

Their paninis are great, and on the weekend, if you have a hankering for biscuits and gravy, skip Charlie Brown’s and get your BnG here. Trust me, it’s better.

Their only downside, is when they are busy seating is a little limited, and they only have stairs, so they are not completely accessible for everyone. But you can call them from the front door and they will run your order to you, and they have a cozy balcony out back if there isn’t space inside. I also wish they were open past three.

But, if you want great coffee, a great sandwich, and great service, and you are in the area, hit up Founders Grounds. It does...

I really wanted to like this place. We need more local coffee shops and less corporate monopolies.

The coffee: Ordered the pumpkin cold brew and the pumpkin cheesecake latte. The cold brew tasted like black iced coffee with sweet whipped topping it wasn’t great. The pumpkin cheesecake was really good though, lots of flavors.

The service: I think the big issue is customer service. The cashier never greeted me or said anything until I asked for my order. Two different people brought the drinks. With the first one I said thanks!!! They shrugged and walked away. The second one I said have a nice day! She walked away and looked annoyed. I didn’t feel welcome at this place at all. If I felt like my business was wanted and I was welcomed I would gladly come back even if the coffee isn’t my favorite but that’s not the case here.

With so much competition small coffee shops need to find ways to stand out amongst the rest. Customer service is critical to...