Gilbert gets wind of Zephyr
Posted by TheShot on 27 May 2006 | Tagged as: Foreign Brew, Local Brew
As reported in today’s Arizona Republic, the bustling metropolis of Gilbert, AZ is the new home of the Zephyr Espresso Caffe: Gilbert gets wind of Zephyr. Or it’s at least the new home of James and Connie Lee. The Lees owned and operated the Zephyr Espresso Caffe and Art Gallery at 3643 Balboa Street (at 38th Avenue) in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond from 1994 until selling it to its current owners in 2004.
Yes, there still are major cafés I have yet to add to CoffeeRatings.com — and San Francisco’s Zephyr is long, long overdue. It’s popular with the nearby San Francisco State University student set, who fills the huge space for cheap eats and mediocre coffee (at least to my last recollection). Perhaps the Lees found it wise to skip town before they lost out to San Francisco’s increasing competition for better espresso … and they knew a review from CoffeeRatings.com was just around the corner.
The Lees may have escaped to Gilbert for now, but the long arm of CoffeeRatings.com knows no boundaries. (Insert diabolical laughter here.)
2 Comments »
[...] Across the Balboa Theater, this cavernous café and art gallery was managed by the same owners from 1994 until being sold to its current owners in 2004. (The previous owners have since set up a café in Gilbert, AZ.) The new owners, like the previous ones, are a bit cagey with their customers and seem ultra-suspicious of potential freeloaders; there are signs for minimum orders to use their WiFi, the bathrooms are locked, etc. Part of the reason is because this location caters heavily to nearby SFSU students. [...]
Well, I would like to set the stage and do the Lee’s justice just so my experience does not come across as one-sided. I have found the Zephyr to be conducive to my graduate studies when I am looking for a change from the University library. My wife and I have stopped in on numerous occasions to have a coffee and a snack. However, this past Sunday (03-25-07) was an experience I will never forget. I came in 9:00am and ordered my usual coffee, sat down and began studying while I waited for a classmate to join me. My friend showed about 10:00am. He did not order from the menu as he does not drink coffee and had already eaten breakfast. Yes, at this point one might be thinking…well my friend is using their space, (i.e. soaking up their oxygen right?) and should order from the menu. Ok, I am not going to argue that principal. So here is the story. They close at 2:00pm, so about 1:30 he comes around the table, not to see how we are doing, but to let us know they close at 2pm. Alright, I am thinking…thanks for the notice. About 15 minutes later, at 1:45, I hear from behind me…”HURRY UP, GET OUT!!” No joke!! Once I overcame the shock of the situation, I inquired about the fuss he is making about us leaving. All he has to say is, “we close at 2:00, time for you to go.” As he is scolding my friend for not ordering and practically shoving us out the door, his wife is in her half-hearted polite way telling us they have to go to church. Wow, you won’t catch me at that church! Oh yea, and it is probably needless to say, you will never catch me in that place of business again. I did write much more than intended, but I felt compelled to share the experience. If you like substandard customer service, have a ball! MP