Ground Up Coffee & Bites — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

As frequent patrons and enthusiastic advocates of Ground Up, my partner and I have consistently recommended Ground Up to friends and neighbors, particularly for the exceptional beverages in West Loop. * HOWEVER * a series of issues we encountered this weekend left us feeling deeply disappointed.

Attempting to handle the matter internally rather than publicly (a review, etc.), I requested to speak with a manager regarding our concerns. Unfortunately, my conversation with Mo concluded with a dismissive suggestion to "find details online," for an email/contact number to a manager as she was unwilling to provide that information.

Here’s what transpired: On Saturday, we ordered two London Fogs with alternative milk due to dietary restrictions. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the drinks were made with regular milk. We realized this error only after leaving the area to run errands. By the time we returned, Ground Up had closed, leaving us no opportunity to rectify the situation that day.

Returning Sunday with the undrunk and incorrectly prepared drinks, we intended to notify the team of the mistake and request a remake, considering the significant cost of $10 for two drinks we couldn’t consume. Regrettably, Mo refused our request, citing unwritten policies against remaking drinks the following day and insinuating that customers fabricate such issues to exploit the system. This accusation was not only unfounded but also offensive, as we were simply seeking a resolution to a genuine problem.

Despite explaining our dietary restrictions and the impracticality of returning the previous day due to Ground Up's closure, Mo maintained her stance, dismissing our concerns and implying dishonesty on Ground Up consumers. Her approach to customer service was, frankly, one of the worst experiences we’ve encountered.

We have valued Ground Up for its high standards and quality service, making this weekend’s experience all the more disheartening. We hope to engage with someone more receptive to resolving this matter, as we believe in Ground Up’s commitment to customer satisfaction and quality - with the obvious...

Today I excitedly walked 20 minutes to find Ground Up Cafe. I arrived at about 1:30pm, the shop was fairly empty. I asked the barista about the coffee beans for sale and asked for a bag of beans and cup of coffee. I requested the ‘batch of the day’ because Anthony, the barista, told me thats what was on tap. My total was $20, I did not receive a receipt.

As I happily waited for my cup of batch drip coffee I noticed other patrons coming in, ringing up, and receving there beverages. After several people received their drinks I finally asked Anthony if they were brewing up a new batch. Anthony replied, “Oh, you wanted a cup of coffee?” I explained to him that, yes I would like a cup of coffee. Again he said, “Oh I thought you just wanted the bag of coffee.” I tell him thats fine, I just needed a cup of coffee. Then, as he motions be back towards the register he says, “Just a communication issue man, I thought you just wanted the bag.” I respond to him, “Well, I wanted the batch of the day, so I can see how the beans I just bought are supposed to taste.” At this point, Anthony is dead set on proving me wrong and still hasn’t gotten me a cup of coffee. He really would rather him be right about what I wanted, versus me getting my cup of coffee, even after I had spent $20 at the establishment.

I finally gave up and said, I don’t need to argue with you, I don’t need anything. I said thanks, asked him his name and left. I’ve never spent so much money at a coffee shop and left so disappointed. The whole reason I went to this shop was to support local business. I passed 3 dunkin donuts, 2 starbucks and 1 Dark Matter on my way to this shop.

Anthony told me Alex is the owner of this establishement. However, I cannot find contact information for Alex Theoharis. Alex, if you’re reading this, please contact me, I would love to hear what exactly happened here and alter my review...

I was very excited to try the seasonal red-honey Nicaraguan coffee, and I bought a bag despite it being much steeper of a price ($25) than other coffees offered. I love brewing different single-origins with pourovers, and this one was no exception (even more so because I've never tried red-honey processed coffee). I picked up the coffee in-store during a trip last Wednesday. It ended up being wholly underwhelming and not worth the pricetag. When I opened the bag, there virtually no aroma--only a somewhat chalky scent with raisin undertones. I was a little confused, to say the least. The roaster's notes boasted "bright floral fragrances." When I went to brew a cup, the same sentiment remained: the aroma was slight, indistinct, and wholly underwhelming. Zero degassing occurred during the bloom phase. The aroma was slightly improved in the brewed product, though still insignificant and far removed from the advertised characteristics. The only accuracy was the "dry, sweet" finish, which was decently pleasant but in no way salvages the extremely poor aroma and indistinct flavor (no fruit notes as described, "apple, tart cherry, residual tropical fruits"). I'm sorely disappointed that it seems as if the coffee was the last of the batch and had been sitting on the store shelves for several months, waiting for a misled enthusiast...