Second Cup

I usually go to Second Cup for their matcha green tea lattes for my quick tea fix on the go (otherwise I’d go to indie cafes for sit-​ins), as theirs is better in taste than SB’s green tea lattes. But there are a few wrongs from this location that ruin my Second Cup experience for me.
This location has a drive-​thru feature which sounded good during my Internet search for the nearest second cup from home, but it is kinda slow. And what makes it a bit dissapointing is when only one barista* is manning the the drive-​thru and the inside. They would complete the dt order first and then proceed to serve the guests inside. So expect to get your order taken long minutes you step inside.
* Now I don’t know if this word should be used at this location because from the times I visited, my beverages were built incorrectly. Maybe the employee is not as experienced in making the lattes, or that in order to make the guests wait less, they rush to make your beverages. I find this unacceptable especially if I’m paying more than 5 bucks for a handcrafted espresso/​tea beverage. Making lattes/​cappuccinos should be done with precision and care so that it does not end up becoming just a bubbly hot mess, as what happened with my matcha drink. No milk foam at the top whatsoever, even when I asked for more when I gave this location another shot.
This place is good for sit-​ins as there are a few spots to sit. There are arm chairs and coffee table area, and bar/​highchair areas inside. Décor is pretty warm and inviting and the layout is pretty good, clean and spacious. There’s also a display of whole coffee beans of different types and you can buy them in bulk.
I like their desserts/​baked goods display and I like that they offer samples which makes me want to buy them (I got their pecan squares because of this lol).
Overall sub par to other Second Cup locations in terms of service and beverage building, but is good for a quiet sit-​in to chill for a while.

Service is SO SLOW! Like a snail.
If you just want something simple, like say a coffee and there’s someone in front of you ordering 5 complicated drinks, they won’t serve you out of turn to get the line flowing, you’ll just have to wait ages instead!
Expensive as well, but this is to be expected.

This Second Cup is under new management. Since its new owners, you can expect to receive horrible and disrespectful service.
The new owners are extremely rude and will ask customers to leave due to «limited space». My friend and I each purchased a hot beverage and were quietly doing work. There were a dozen empty seats around us. We were there for approximately 2 hours, which was a similar duration to other customers that were there. However, the new manager ONLY approached us and asked us to leave. I can assure you that this was discrimination based on our age (we were the only customers in our 20s).
We informed her that other customers have been there for similar duration and expressed our disappointment with her rude service. She denied this and began wagging her finger at us in a condescending manner.
My friend and I (and our families) have been coming here on a regular basis for the past 6 years. I can assure you that this new management will not receive our business again.
If you come here — don’t expect a warm, comfortable, and inviting ambiance. You’ll be extremely disappointed.

While I am not a coffee shop /​tea room alcoholic (mainly because I am too cheap), I do enjoy the ambiance or a get together with a friend at a tea house every once in a while.
This place definitely has the feeling I love about coffee shops. And many of the drinks are great.
Other pluses is that fact that it is a Canadian franchise and for me, the location is great.
The downside is definitely the service time. While they are friendly, it always takes forever to get your drink here. I noticed that they tended to serve the drive through quicker, so I tried that once and it still took a long~ish time from order to drink.
Another downer for me is the ice chillers. They are as advertised but I think I was hoping for more of a smoothie… which they obviously aren’t. I know that is just my mistake for having false expectations, but it was still a downer.
So for now I will just stick to my chai latte when I am not in a hurry, and I’ll be fine. =)