Caffè La Scala — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

Very extremely disrespectful staff. Went today to get some school work done in the terrace. Before ordering, she told that they don’t accept any outside drinks so my friend gave me her drink and I automatically went to the car to drop it there. When I got back l, I passed by her and went to my friend who was sitting in one of the table.By the time, I turned on my computer, she showed up in front me and said that I had to purchase sometime to sit and that was just the rule. Totally understand that so I said i’m coming and IMMEDIATELY followed her to the counter. HOWEVER as soon as we got to the counter, as I stood there ready to order, she added: hey this is not Starbucks you can’t just sit down with your friend without ordering, this is a cafe, I mean you should understand that and if you don’t, then you can ... as she pointed at the exit the door. CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT NOT ONCE I SHOWED ATTITUDE OR COMPLAINED ABOUT THE RULES ( because of course I respect it if this cafe has that rule, but I can’t guess it ). After hearing that, I couldn’t believe my ears and told her that she didn’t need to say those kind of things if I LITERALLY followed her to the counter and was ready to order. BUT SHE DIDN’T STOP AND KEPT GOING ON ABOUT how those are obvious things and that she didn’t say anything bad. The worst is that the whole time, I was repeating that I was there to order but instead of helping me with that, she kept lecturing me about cafes and rules with the most aggressive attitude you can ever get, well until eventually I couldn’t take it anymore and said that I’m just gonna leave, which she seems the happiest about. And As we were leaving, my friend couldn’t help but feel disrespected by the behavior of that staff that she asked to see the manager. HER ANSWER TO THAT WAS : I’m sorry, I’m gonna ask you to leave now ( we were already leaving ). So we insisted and said that we will definitely be back to talk to the manager and that’s when she added the cherry on the top by smirking and saying: oh well that’s my family business so yeah 🤷🏻‍♀️. So so so shameless to treat customers like that at your OWN family business. As a person of color, I feel extremely insulted by her treatment and her ATTITUDE. So to the actual owner of the place, please if you are going to allow your daughter or family member to work there, please please make sure she is going to at least speak respectfully and without spoiled brat...

I usually try to focus on the positives when visiting a local cafe, and initially, I thought I'd found a gem with the energetic vibe brought by the college students who work at Café La Scala. Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by my encounters with the owners. Their approach to customer service could be described as nothing short of appalling – unwelcoming, curt, and on a bad day, downright discriminatory.

During my visit, I witnessed an elderly couple being mocked for asking questions about the menu. Another instance involved a visibly flustered owner berating a young patron for simply asking to have her drink remade, as it wasn't what she ordered. This is not the community-focused atmosphere you'd expect from a local coffee shop, but rather an environment fraught with tension and discomfort.

Aside from the service, the coffee, which should be the heart of any café, was mediocre at best. My espresso was under-extracted, leading to a sour taste that no amount of sugar could mask. The "freshly baked" pastries seemed to laugh in the face of their own description, being stale and rather tasteless. Moreover, the seating area had a layer of grime that made me question the last time a cleaning cloth had graced the surface.

To make matters worse, the prices are steep, seemingly unjustifiable for the quality received. You have to spend at least $15 dollars on mediocre food just to sit at a table with outlets. I cannot help but wonder how much potential is being squandered here. This establishment could flourish under management that values customer service and takes pride in the quality of their offerings.

I can commend the students for their bright smiles and attempts at damage control, but it's like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. It's with a heavy heart that I write this review, as I truly support local businesses and root for their success. Sadly, I cannot recommend Café La Scala. If you're looking for a warm environment with high-quality coffee and treats, you might want to look elsewhere, possibly even the Starbucks...

I don’t leave reviews because most places just do what they say they do: you pay them money, they give you a service. But I’ve been going to La Scala for a lot of years whenever I’m in town, and it’s one of the last late night-ish cafes that survived the pandemic closures. I treasured it because I like coffee shop vibes at night, not bar vibes.

So this negative review really hurts to leave. I went there last night, and for reference I walk with a cane and have to wear a mask. They had a designated table for people with disabilities, and so I sat there. After an hour I was asked if I would move so they could take the disability sign off the table and seat more able bodied people there. They told me I could move to another table, but the only seats remaining were crammed in areas I could not access with my disability.

So I sat outside in the 40-some degree weather instead, because I can’t drive with my health issues and my ride wasn’t going to come back for me for three more hours. When I went to get another drink they were nice enough to comp it for me but it was only a $4 tea so I can’t say that did anything for me. I get the sense also that was the waiter feeling bad for me, rather than the manager or whomever told him to get me to move feeling bad for me.

You can’t ask a disabled person to give up their seat at the only disability accessible table. Of course you can say the words “could you move you’re in the way” but we all know that human culture hinges on politeness. If we start saying “I don’t want there to be politeness or thoughtfulness in human culture” then everything unravels very fast. Perhaps what they did was legal, perhaps not, I don’t know and I can’t say I really care either. My money and my presence are now an inconvenience to my favorite cafe in the Bay Area. That’s the part I care about, and I’ve received the message...