Well I have taken a long enough hiatus and I figured it was time to come back to my coffee blog. Truth be told, I missed it. But moving, school and money issues came to the forefront of my thoughts and pushed this blog to the back of my priorities. Anyway I am just going to jump right back into it.
This coffee shop is right around the corner from my place so I figured it was the best place to start. I first heard of it from word of mouth, Chad and I were out to dinner one night just after moving to Cleveland and of course our first question was...where is the coffee shops around here? A nice server suggested Gypsy to us and we went the next day. I have been there a handful of times since then so I feel pretty informed giving this review. First I would like to say (because this is the most important part:) that I do love their coffee. They get their coffee from a local roaster, Red Cedar Coffee Company. I have ordered a few different things from them, from a cafe con panna (I had to explain to the barista how to make it though) to a regular coffee, to my *favorite* vanilla soy latte. Everything I have ordered is yummy. But it's not just about the coffee. Yes, the coffee is a HUGE part of it, but it's not all of it. There is one barista there that I like, (I forget her name) and she is always chipper and sweet every time we come in. But there are a few baristas that I can honestly say I don't like so much. They know what they're doing, it's obvious that they are knowledgeable in the art of espresso drinks, but to me, there is more to it. There is customer service. And there is one barista there that I can honestly say I have never seen smile. Never. Chad tells me that maybe thats "just his thing", that maybe he is just a serious person. Ok, maybe that is true. But when you're in a job that you need to interact with the public, throw a smile on your face and try to look like you're not miserable, or a snob. Even if you're just faking it, I don't think most people will know the difference. I don't know...maybe I am making too much of it. But it makes me uneasy. He always looks like there is a frown etched into his face and some of his "smile" muscles are in atrophy. The manager there seems sweet, she is always calling people "love", I just eat up that kind of stuff:) The other baristas there seem alright, helpful and nice enough. But nothing that makes me feel welcome when I go in there. When I was living in Virginia there was a coffee place I frequented. And after a few times of going, not only did the employees remember my drink but they remembered my name and followed up on stories or what was going on in my life at the time. That is the kind of barista I am as well. I will have a hard time remembering what I need to do tomorrow in school but I will be able to remember how many shots you like in your drink and how your kids are doing in school. It's a whole customer service package. It's making people feel good when they walk in. Even when Chad asks how business is doing (being a small local place, we want them to do well and thrive in this economy so we are genuinely interested) the answer is usually half assed at best.
The prices are average for this area, a little pricey but nothing over the top. The atmosphere itself is cozy, the majority of the customers hanging out are on their laptops so it's a little yuppy-esque for me. But as far as coffee houses that are walking distance from our place, it's excellent:)
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