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| - A very reluctant 4 stars. Read on.
Visited this place on a Sunday morning. I've been super excited to try this place out, as I'm a coffee snob and I'm always eager to experience the latest cafe. During my visit I experienced some highs and lows that I want to share because I desperately WANT this place to succeed. This is my new Sunday coffee/croissant/read the paper place.
Pros: Someone spent a significant amount of time developing the interior decor of this place. From the front door, and all throughout the interior, from the seating to the bathrooms, this place just screams COOL. The seating is retro, with couches and cool tables and lots of books. It's like sitting in your local old school bookstore and having a coffee. There was even a couch-swing suspended from the ceiling. The music is 1920's jazz. There is a greenhouse INSIDE the cafe, with bakery ovens and coffee roasters right in the center, framed by real trees. This place is like a really awesome museum - you'll want to walk around, taking in all the fixtures and funky furniture.
Cons: The amount of time spent on the decor should have been equally spent on the coffee and food, and it's apparent it was not. But first, let's talk about the sign on the outside announcing the place to the world. It's not there. There is no indication this place is Gabi Coffee and Bakery. Even tiny "We're Open" signs in the windows don't say what exactly is open. We drove around the parking lot for several minutes, my wife eyeballing me, while we tried to find the place. I know they're new, but put up a sign people. Now, the coffee and food.
I went because I heard about the funky and cool vibe inside, but I'll keep coming back for the coffee and food. There were many coffee selections, but my wife and I settled on a simple hot latte and hot cup of coffee. Neither were hot. In fact, both were VERY lukewarm. We ordered the normal and chocolate croissant - both stone cold, and tasting like they were made the day before. They should be fresh, and warmed. We had to ask for simple additions - cream and sugar were not found on the table and did not come with the coffee when it was rolled out on the cart (nice touch by the way). We were left wandering the cafe looking for something that should be offered with the drink. We also asked for butter for our croissants, and we were handed enough butter to smother 100 croissants, and of course the butter was stone cold and hard as a rock.
I also learned by chatting up with the barista that there are flavor additions to the coffee - vanilla, caramel, chocolate, etc. I don't recall seeing that on the menu. It should either be advertised or offered when ordering. Another ding - no stevia. Only sugar, splenda, and the pink/blue fake nasty stuff. Stevia is the future people! In the future, I'll have to bring my own.
No table-side service. You want something, you have to make your way to the counter and order it. With many employees working, it just seems odd that nobody comes to your table and asks if you want or need anything. With normal coffee, at $3.50 for a small cup, you should definitely get some free refills. I pay $6 for my venti Starbucks, and I could easily fit 4 of the Gabi coffees into my venti cup, so the price point for a regular cup of coffee is way, way off.
Bottom line - when you go to a cafe, you want it to be just like home. Fresh warm croissants from the oven. Spreadable butter or jam for those croissants. Coffee hot and fresh, with all the fixings (sugar, creamer, etc). These small homey touches are simply missing from Gabi, but easily corrected.
I'll be back. This place is just 8 minutes from my home, and I spend every Sunday morning with my newspaper and a coffee. With a few tweaks, this place will be the hottest spot in town. But today, at 9am, my wife and I were the only customers. There is a reason for that - the food and coffee need a little attention, and you need a big, beautiful sign outside. Get to work people! I want to see you succeed so I can come here for years, and years, and years.
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