Day 3: A coffee-shop case of the Mondays

Chalk it up to a case of the Mondays: Today’s coffee shop excursion was a bust.

Since Doodle and I had to be on the eastside for our weekly team sync at the Redmond campus, we decided to visit Victor’s Celtic Co & Roasters in downtown Redmond (7933 Gilman St). Victor’s came highly recommended by our lovely boss-lady, Michelle, who is obsessed with their foamy cappuccinos.

As luck would have it, Victor’s–which is located in the heart of tech-crazed Redmond–is decidedly anti-technology.

Case in point:

Cash only. Credit cards are so over-rated.
When we asked the man behind the register (who, with his Irish lilt is presumably Victor?) if there was a wireless password, he quickly informed us that there was a very strict one hour limit to internet use because “this is a coffee shop, NOT a workshop!” Hmph!
Despite his stern guidelines, we decided to stay for an hour. Then, despite our best efforts, we couldn’t find a connection. Not-so-subtle reinforcement of the one-hour work limit?
The cafe has a handful of printed signs informing patrons of the aforementioned one-hour loitering limit…which applies to remote workers and students. Kids, this is the first success technique you’ll learn in Business 101.
Shortly after we sat down, Victor (or his Irish doppelgänger) made a loop through the cafe, wiping down tables and collecting mugs. He stopped at the table next to us–where two high school kids were laboring over a group project, sans computers–and told them it was about time for them to be leaving, after all, they’d been there for nearly an hour. Because a world where students actually make an effort to do their school work is NOT the kind of world we want to be living in.

The consensus: Sure, my cap was delicious, and yes, I was drooling over the mound of Nanaimo bars in the pastry case, but I’d rather spend my money and time at a place that’s a little more welcoming. Here’s to hoping tomorrow is slightly more fruitful.

Tomorrow:

Day 4: Tuesday, January 18th

Destination: the Sneaky Starbucks (or, 15th Ave Coffee & Tea)