Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea — Restaurant in Waterbury

Mixed Feelings About My Recent Visit to The Vermont Artisan’s Coffee & Tea Bar

Review:

I've been a regular at The Coffee Bar for the past six years, drawn in by the warm service and the exceptional coffee. My visit on February 10th, however, left me with mixed feelings.

On the positive side, barista #1’s (B1) in-depth knowledge about coffee, especially regarding the density of Brazilian coffee beans, was as impressive as ever. It's this expertise and passion for coffee that has always made my stops here a highlight.

However, the service during this visit was notably different. Upon entering, I didn't receive the usual greeting or offer to help from barista #2 (B2) who wasn't assisting other customers at the time. Although I managed to pick out a pound of coffee for purchase and request it to be ground—which B2 did—I felt overlooked, as there was no effort to engage with me further or inquire if I wanted anything else.

After B1 finished assisting another couple, neither of the baristas made any attempt to acknowledge me or ask if I needed help, despite the now quieter store. This lack of interaction, combined with B1 checking his phone instead of engaging with present customers, significantly impacted my experience.

Although I had planned to order my annual treat of a Maple Latte, after 20 minutes without proper acknowledgment, I chose to leave and found the warmth and prompt service I was looking for at Lake Champlain Chocolates.

I believe in the importance of customer service, especially in a setting as personal as a coffee shop. While I deeply respect the coffee knowledge at The Coffee Bar, the service aspect was lacking during my last visit. I hope this feedback can be seen as an opportunity for improvement, as I know from personal experience in customer service how vital it is to make each customer feel valued.

Best...

To start, I am a coffee geek and I live for the art and artistry of coffee. This review is written from that perspective. I was disappointed with my coffee experience here. I was excited to hear they had an Ethopia Sidama available for pour overs. It was a little over priced at $4.75 for a pour over, but I still wanted to give it a try. My disappointment began when I saw that they were not making a pour over, but rather an immersion coffee. There is a substantial difference between the two brewing methods, which is often why a pour over coffee costs more. After my initial disappointment, I was shocked to watch the barista continually stir the steeping coffee. The barista then asked if I would like room for cream, which was also a surprise because a pour over is suppose to have a precise ratio of ground beans to water. When I tasted the coffee it lacked the acidity and brightness that African coffees are known for. The coffee it self was very watered down. I wish that I could have actually tried the coffee brewed in a way to...

Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea is great! I’ve driven past this place a billion times and I finally decided to stop in recently - I was pleasantly surprised with how good their drinks are! This place has lots of parking and the regular café is on the bottom level. However, they do have a second level where they offer coffee courses and barista classes so you can literally open your own coffee shop if you want. That’s awesome!! This place is probably the reason why there are so many great coffee shops around the central part of Vermont, so I have massive respect for them! I tried a unique fall seasonal iced cofffee drink that had ginger and some other elements to it, and my fiancée tried an iced oolong tea. Both were excellent, and I have absolutely no complaints. This place actually has great prices for their drinks, much more reasonable than other coffee shops near Stowe, so that’s another massive benefit. I definitely will be coming here more regularly in the future....