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| - I have been frequenting the Green Beanery off and on for the last five years. The location is prime and the brick building is excellent. It has vast floor space compared with most coffee shops, and plenty of little round tables. They even have a row faux leather armchairs at the tables against the wall, and seating at the window ledge. I have never bought coffee or coffee brewing equipment here. The Green Beanery's selection of both is extensive (possibly even comprehensive). The atmosphere is lovely and the merchandise is attractively displayed. I appreciate their pioneering commitment to being 'beyond fair trade and organic' sourcing. The company's commitment to social justice is one of the prime reasons for my loyalty. The establishment as a glass door vault it rents out as meeting room. I would love to hold acrimonious business meeting there. The Green Beanery has only one large washroom for its patrons. There is occasionally a line up for this washroom, and I have given up a few times. It is a large, clean and well equiped washroom, with plenty of hooks to hang one's bags, coat, scarf, etc. The Green Beanery has recently improved its waste diversion facilities. I give it 5/5 for the accomodations.
The Green Beanery's product range is decent. It's coffee is very good. It's regular cappuccino is on the small size for the price (about $3.50). The americanos are good. The tea use to consist of Stash bagged tea. They switched in the last year to loose leaf. I selected a milk oolong once, and it oddly did not have any milk aroma. The Green Beanery's ice tea is excellent and affordably priced. I enjoyed both the lemon black iced tea and the raspberry hisbiscus (nice tartiness for hot, muggy weather). They have recently started serving iced Earl Grey tea, which tasts delicious). I give the Green Beanery 4/5 for their coffee & tea.
I use to eat their over-priced bagel sandwiches (veggie and cheese or smoked salmon and cream cheese). They were ordinary, tasty white flour bagel sandwiches. In 2015 The Green Beanery added a selection of ready made sandwiches. These were expensive and good. I especially liked the pulled pork sandwich. This year they have added a selection of crepes, which take a few minutes to make. The crepes are well made and priced comparably with other crepe establishments in town.The Green Beanery also offers a large selection of sweet baked goods. The Green Beanery also serves Greg's Ice Cream (Toasted Marshmallow and Espresso Toffee delicious). On the healthier side, The Green Beanery has lauched a selection of smoothies and pressed fruit juices. I tried their Pineapple Mango smoothie. It tasted bizarrely fishy and its consistency was too thick to be sucked throught the tiny straw provided. I give the Green Beanery 3/5 for their food menu.
The customer service at the Green Beanery is bad. It is the reason I try to avoid the establishment. I prefer to spend time at the Second Cup, where the servers are usually polite and often friendly. The customer service at The Green Beanery is at best indifferent and detached, and at its worse arrogant and negligent. The Green Beanery hires servers from all demographics, yet they all conditionned to treat the customers' orders (not special requests, but simple orders) as an unavoidable nuisances. I do not understand why these young people cannot treat the customers to ensure their employment with courtesy, if not warmth. It is as though they preceive service work as a humiliation the world is forcing upon them. They appear to stocially endure the customers' presence and demands, and act to make our interaction as brief as possible. Were they trafficked to The Green Beanery by corrupt art school teachers and acting coachs to work as barista slaves? The servers at the Green Beanery seem only interested in gossiping among themselves and slowing cleaning equipment, and notice customers with all the enthusiasm of preparing for a bowel movement. I am usually an extravagant tipper (25%-30%), because my parents are immigrants who found employment in restaurants. The Green Beanery is the first establishment I have ever frequented where I make it a rule to not tip at all. I have used The Green Beanery as an example of what is lacking in Toronto's customer service culture. I can remember exactly three times when a server in The Green Beanery as gone beyond the bare necessities of service and actually treated me nicely. (One young Asian woman was very sweet natured when I purchased my first Earl Grey iced tea.) I am surprised to experience even chilly courteous at the Green Beanery. The management seems disinterested or incapable of changing the company's service culture. I give The Green Beanery 1/5 for customer service.
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