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| - I'm gonna be the bad guy here and give Java Worx something other than 4 or 5 stars.
I REALLY wanted to like this place. God knows Anthem needs a non-Starbucks coffee shop. I gave it two shots (no coffee pun intended) and wasn't impressed.
Pluses: The coffee is good, it is hand tamped as Elizabeth (who is the owner's daughter and an employee - I went to high school with her - can we say 'biased'?) stated. I say good, but it is also nothing special, no distinctive flavor that I can pick up on. It's better than the hit-or-miss that is the Starbucks next door though. They also sell some neat art pieces by local artists that are fun to look at while you wait.
Minuses: The menu is on a TV and vanishes every 5 seconds (rather irksome if you want something other than your normal drink). The kids working were slower than molasses both times while I was the only customer (and I've been a barista, don't spit me "good coffee takes time" - this was nothing to do with pulling the shots or foam art or whatever else). The one teenage guy working seemed like a total airhead - think the singing prince in Monty Python's Holy Grail.
My main irk, however, has been the employees sitting at the bar, chatting to the employees behind the counter. One appears to be the owner even. For some reason this really grinds my gears. I felt like I was interrupting to place my order, and there was this awful awkward silence while I did so, until they could resume their chitchat. Never even a "Hi, how are you?" upon approaching the counter.
And no, I'm not just being bitchy because I'm used to the canned cheerfulness of corporate coffee. I GET family business - my family has owned a retail store since I was 8. Sitting behind the counter and chatting to your dad is one thing, but ignoring the customer except to get them in and out is another... And to quote the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, that's "the impression that I get".
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