Bean Counter Bakery Cafe — Restaurant in Worcester

Let me just say HATS OFF TO THE CHEF..........or in this case "The Baker". i am beyond impressed with this establishment. I had always heard of this place but had never been there. One day my daughter asks me to get her some macaroons and i roamed the whole of Worcester searching for macaroons. Long story short i ended up at the Bean counter to get her the macaroons. Recently i wanted to satisfy my cake cravings i was having and went to one of their branches to get some. It was mostly gone by the time i got there so they told me about the new branch which had more selections. I ended up online trying to find a good looking birthday cake and i came across my dream cake. So i go over after work to put in a custom order for my cake. While i was there i met the owner (Alice) and she had me sample some of what i was looking for my custom made cake, and boy did i fall in love with it immediately. So after putting in my order and before leaving i told her i was craving for cake and asked her which one she would recommend. She pointed out exactly what i was eyeing from the minute i walked in, so i bought it, had it packaged and there i was in my car about to satisfy my cravings that i had been having for so long. After dinner, of course, with the entire family on edge waiting to have this cake, even my 1 year old, we dive into the cake and OOOOOOOMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGG..........Let's just say the moment i got to work at 8:30 the next day, i was on the phone, instead of working, calling The Bean Counter and putting in an order for a bigger size of the same Strawberry Cake from the night before. I was in 7th Heaven, even one family member who does not like to eat sweet things, wiped her plate clean. Aside God and my kids, if anything was perfect, it was that Cake i bought from the Bean Counter. I just cannot wait to pick up my birthday cake in a few...

The baristas are usually friendly and there is free Wi-Fi along with plenty of outlets. The one reason I still come here is the hours: it's open quite late given we're in Worcester. If you go out for coffee once and awhile, it's OK. If you are the kind of person that likes to get work done out of the house, I would suggest not going here. There are too many negatives: (1) The coffee shop's thermostat is kept too low, making it a very cold place. I am not sure if this is done on purpose to encourage customers to buy more hot drinks. (2) The seating is not comfortable. Most of the chairs are made of hardwood. The floor is tilted, meaning the chairs and tables tilt and shake with just a little bit of pressure. (3) The space is a bit crammed and offers little privacy. (4) Because of its street location, occasionally beggars and hobos will come in the store asking customers for money or to use their phone. (5) If you drive, parking spots within walking distance are very difficult to find. (6) Very busy area, don't expect a quaint little coffee shop hidden away in the city. (7) The prices are a bit too high, especially for things like bagels (around $4 each!). (8) The tables are usually dirty because there is usually only 1 person working at a time. Customers don't give their dishes to the barista even though it explicitly says to do so, so they leave them on tables.

My advice: avoid this...

Highland St location- went to see new renovations with my husband and kids. It was so disappointing in many aspects. The updated atmosphere is stripped down- think white walls, black ceiling. Acoustically challenging- couldn’t hear anyone in my group speaking, the coffee machines super loud on top of it. Could use some art, cushions- anything to soften the atmosphere. The seating options were challenging for my family (tables of two only and benches with no chairs on opposite side). I know it’s a college based location, but for any group of people it is tough to enjoy coffee inside. It was understaffed (2 people on a busy Sunday morning) causing a long line. One staff member coughing and handling things. The cookie we bought was under baked in the center. It just is not the Bean Counter of Grove Street, which is well done and is reliable. I hope they can find the small ways to improve the experience. This location is one of the few mainstays on Highland Street- they should take more pride in that location. It isn’t just college kids who want to...