Black Cap Coffee & Bakery lunch, pastries, sandwiches, lattes, coffee — Restaurant in Waterbury

Black Cap, located in downtown Waterbury, is known for its delicious food and espresso offerings, making it a sought-after destination on Mondays and Tuesdays (because there's no other options downtown available on those days). However, my recent experiences with the service have left me with mixed feelings, especially considering the limited espresso options available in the area during these days.

During my most recent visit to Black Cap, I arrived just after 8:30 am and placed an order for a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese sandwich, along with a Small Maple Latte. While the latte had a bit more foam than I typically expect in a latte, it was still enjoyable. The real issue arose when I patiently waited for my food. Initially, the café was relatively quiet, but as time passed, more customers streamed in.

After a somewhat prolonged 10-minute wait, I couldn't help but notice an older couple who had arrived after me receiving their coffee and the same Sausage, Egg, and Cheese sandwich I had ordered. Concerned that my order had been forgotten or given to someone else in error, I approached the counter to inquire. The staff at Black Cap quickly acknowledged their oversight and rushed to prepare my sandwich.

Unfortunately, it took a total of 20 minutes from the moment I placed my order to finally receive it. This extended delay left me feeling somewhat exasperated, particularly because there was no offer of compensation for the mix-up, even though such gestures had been extended in the past when similar errors occurred- because good service seems to be a reoccurring issue.

Wrapping up my thoughts, though known for its appealing location and delicious food and espresso offerings, has left me contemplating whether it's worth returning, especially when other espresso options are available later in the week. Despite these issues, I hope that Black Cap can improve its service to match the quality of its offerings. I do think I will be taking a break though and exploring the other cafes in town...

Edit to the owner: My name is spelt Nevaeh. It’s written right there. I’m surprised you don’t know the costs of your own drinks because $6.85 is what your $5.75 plain latte comes out to after tax and the fee. $5.75 is still an insane price for a latte which I illustrated by showcasing similar companies like Red Hen and Capital grounds who have substantially cheaper drinks. Especially Red Hen who manages to make all their syrups items in house and make all of their multitude of bread and pastries from local ingredients. And your justification of the price being utilities and rent is so obvious I didn’t even feel like including it because almost every business has those. I’m glad you have customers but the point of a review is to give people an informed idea of the business they are walking into and whether they want to spend their money there. Which I would recommend against considering how greedy and patronizing you seem to be as an owner.

Original Review: Paid $6.85 for a 12oz latte. With the Vermont rooms and meals tax already high at 9%, their added 10% service fee makes everything 19% more expensive than what's on the menu. The $6.85 price does not include any tip I added.

To do a fair comparison, looking at two similar close cafes you can see much cheaper prices. Capital Grounds in Montpelier roasts their own beans and also uses monin syrup (the same used as black cap). Their 12oz late runs around $4.00 and includes tax in the price. Even adding a 25% tip would only run you around $5.00.

Even closer is Red Hen Bakery. They do not have tipping and instead price their items so that the staff can have a fair wage. A drink there including the tax is around $4.90 for a 12oz latte. Even more so they make all of their flavors in house.

So unless your espresso is unusually expensive or your staff is paid super well, fix...

I have been to this location before and had good experiences. This time was not. I live in Burlington and was in your area and my husband and I decided to stop for pastries and coffee. The young man who served us yesterday was nice . He did however appear to be struggling to make our drinks. At one point he had stopped midway through making the first coffee to take another order- he was the only staff member up front. After several minutes with the new customer he resumed the first coffee only to spoon the foam into the cup of the cappuccino. When I tasted it he noticed my disappointment in the taste and quality and offered to remake it informing me that the oat/almond milk doesn’t foam as easily . I asked if it was oat or almond milk since I had requested oat- which does foam easier and was informed it was oat. I passed on a redo. He then attempted the second coffee only to look completely overwhelmed, walk over to another staff member who had appeared , whisper to them , proceed to throw out the second drink and steamed milk and walk to the back. After the second staff person finished with the order she was ringing in- she made the second cappuccino just fine and handed it to me with no explanations or apologies. All I can presume is that he was new, not well trained and does not understand how to juggle multiple transactions at a time and keep patrons informed and feeling valued. This experience has definitely tainted my views on this location. As a current business owner of a food establishment and a former owner of a service industry company- it is very important to make sure that your customers feel valued and appreciated for their patronage and spending of their hard earned money. You have good products and generally good service. I may just have to skip drinks in the...