Disgusting pricing of espresso

ckeego

New coffee shop on Tara street, Shoe Lane Coffee.

Really good espresso by Full Circle.

I tend to like an extra shot ie a three shot espresso. 90% of places charge you an extra 50 c for the extra shot, which usually brings it to 3 euro (in Ireland.. Maybe 1.20 if on the Continent but that's a story for another day)

Same story when I went to this spot when it opened a few weeks back2.50 for a DE, 50c for the extra shot.

Went in today and the "barista" lady says, "Well we've been chatting here and with the extra shot, we will have to charge for another DE, so that will be 5 euro "....

Cue my jaw hitting the counter...

She sees my surprise and says " Well you know it's single origin and that's what 3FE charge"

Well, yes that's why I now boycott 3FE as they will not serve extra shots and quite frankly it's become an overpriced spot that is sailing close to pissing customers off

Sad that we are back to the rip off republic- I refused to pay 2.50 for an extra shot and it's not exactly in the most cosmopolitan spot in Dublin looking out over the abortion architecture of Apollo House and the HSE..:mad:

Gmaximum

ckeego wrote:

She sees my surprise and says " Well you know it's single origin and that's what 3FE charge"

That's the most ridiculous reason to set a price

At the end of the day they're free to set a price at whatever point they like. If it's too high they'll loose custom

I've actually told my regular coffee shop they're too cheap for the quality coffee they serve. It's more expensive to get a coffee from a machine in Topaz and you've to press the button yourself!

Seanie_H

ckeego wrote:

New coffee shop on Tara street, Shoe Lane Coffee.

I was in there last week and would rate it the most pretentious place around. Asked for a low fat milk for cappuccino and was pretty much sneered at. Full or almond.

I really rent the Coffee Cartel trailer/van outside Irish Life where Abbey Street meets Tara Street. Very smooth coffee and quite often prices the DE the same as the solo.

Nice chap too.

groucho marx

I'm actually shocked at that,glad you didn't pay. The pure greed of it sickens me.

ckeego

groucho marx wrote: »

I'm actually shocked at that,glad you didn't pay. The pure greed of it sickens me.

I'm with you on that.

I'm lucky to travel a lot with work and there is a place in London called Monmouth in Borough where the rents must be massive on their premises. A DE is 1.70 Sterling and a 250g of their coffee is about 5/6 quid (and you get a good taste of each one first)

That bag is good for 10/12 Aerpress shots for me..

It is a uniquely Irish trait to treat customers as bad as some of these places do..

Sticking to Coffee Angel and Kaph although there is a little place in Powerscourt Town centre where they couldn't be nicer when serving you great double for 2 euro.. Rarely charges for the third shot

BabysCoffee

They should not be charging full price for an extra shot. They aren't even giving you a new cup!

A single & a double espresso is equivalent to a small & a large coffee. And you don't get charged double for ordering a large coffee in most places.

I'd take my business elsewhere.

All My Stars Aligned

From the coffee shops perspective, if they only serve doubles in their drinks the other half of your third shot goes down the drain so that's why I'd imagine they are charging for for a second double espresso. Perhaps they should consider offering you the forth shot as you are paying for it anyway. That said 2.50 is too much to charge for an espresso IMO.

Regarding the price compared to the shop n London that you mentioned. Part of the consideration when setting the price depends on what they are paying for the green beans. I know that Full Circle only buy there bean in very small quantities thus paying a higher wholesale price. They also tend to buy from a green been supplier called Nordic Approach who only supply the highest quality of bean but charge accordingly.

caviardreams

BabysCoffee wrote: »

They should not be charging full price for an extra shot. They aren't even giving you a new cup!

A single & a double espresso is equivalent to a small & a large coffee. And you don't get charged double for ordering a large coffee in most places.

I'd take my business elsewhere.

An awful lot of places actually serve a double as standard in a small americano (the likes of insomnia etc.) - and the large is only a few cents extra as they pretty much just add extra water to it - no extra shot.

J_E

Ignore places like this, they just aren't worth your time. Snobby cafes are just irritating and they will learn through their sales if they're being unfair. That's ridiculous pricing, completely unreasonable attitude from barista.

Getting kind of fed up of the third wave expectations of a lot of cafes in Dublin. We have the opportunity to do something different yet we default to the all-wood interior, leaving all the food exposed on an open counter, baristas mindset that they have to 'educate' the buyer as opposed to listening to what they'd like. Our cafe scene is starting to look like every other cafe scene in the world.

rubadub

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

From the coffee shops perspective, if they only serve doubles in their drinks the other half of your third shot goes down the drain so that's why I'd imagine they are charging for for a second double espresso.

They could only charge for the cost to them of the wasted coffee so. Say there is 14g in a DE, if their beans are €25 per kilo that is 7g gone to waste which costed them 17.5cent. So instead they lose a customer, or else the customer just sticks to the DE and they lose out on very easy extra money.

The price of the wasted coffee is minimal. There is the cup, premises, staff cost to make it, cost in time taken to take the payment etc. These things are not being doubled up on so they can afford to give a discount. Just like a large coke in mcdonalds is not doubled up in price from one half the size.

J_E

Or they could just use a single basket? At worst, a longer extraction? You just can't justify this ridiculousness, you'd be better off buying a double and single separately, costing the staff more, that's how silly this is.

alec76

J_E wrote: »

Or they could just use a single basket?

They might consider triple basket aswell .

ckeego

Ok... When I posted this first, I thought long and hard whether my opinion was offside.. I still believe being charged 2.50 for an extra shot is exhorbitant, and no, I wasn't offered the shot as they used a single draw for the third shot.

Like them or loathe them, The Happy Pear (and in particular Shane, Raj, either Flynner and all of the lady baristas) make simply excellent espresso and for over 8 years kept their pricing below 2 euro. They still serve excellent coffee with one or twenty one shots in a proper cup at a very decent price. Each extra shot is 50c if indeed they charge you for it..

They also have a lovely custom where they have a suspended coffee list where if you are a student, down on your luck or have simply forgotten your wallet, the coffee or tea is on the house... That's what I like.

I made the point about Monmouth coffee-they are mainly single origin, some organic (if that's your thing) and they deal directly with the little man. I'm not doubting that Full Circle do any different but my argument wasn't with the supplier, even though their beans seem expensive.

2.50 seems the base level for an espresso as is the standard of serving a double shot. Shoe Lane have yet to serve me a coffee in a proper cup..always a cheap paper cup, so why charge me for a full other espresso when I'm not even getting both shots?.. I just want a good coffee.

Sorry for the rant but I'm fed up with being told that the owner and his partner used to work in the finance sector and decided to reinvent themselves and that Barra and Aifric want to raise the bar when it comes to coffee standards in our capital.. Sorry but please fcuk off...I just want a good coffee

35 euro for a kilo bag of beans is too much. That's like a start up Irish bike brand pretending they are Pinarello and charging the same or more.. I just want a good coffee

I don't require a barista with a beard, a tatty white T shirt in a pseudo shack made from pallets.. I just want a good coffee

I don't need the barista to look like something out of Cosmo with an attitude to match, more tatts than Conor McGregor, a fake LA accent and more piercings than a Lyons Tea bag... I just want a good coffee (these general themes are not necessarily directed at Shoe Lane, just certain sectors within the Irish coffee scene)

I'm also both amazed and also disappointed how expensive 3FE has become-3 euro small espresso shot, yet other outlets selling their beans can do it cheaper? Go figure...The next AIB ad with them in it, the customer will be looking for the loan...

But do you know what? I'm not paying 5 euro for a small coffee in a paper cup on Tara Street overlooking quite possibly the most dire view in Dublin.. And I'll vote with my feet accordingly

jive

Agree on the Happy Pear. Was there recently, best coffee I've had in Ireland and 2nd best I've ever had. It's obvious that the people pulling the shots have a passion for it.

They're a pleasant bunch, too. For whatever reason the barista on the day offered a free latte out to whoever wanted it, not sure if he pulled an extra one in error or was just practicing some art because I saw him take a photo of it. Either way, a nice touch.

ckeego

jive wrote: »

Agree on the Happy Pear. Was there recently, best coffee I've had in Ireland and 2nd best I've ever had. It's obvious that the people pulling the shots have a passion for it.

They're a pleasant bunch, too. For whatever reason the barista on the day offered a free latte out to whoever wanted it, not sure if he pulled an extra one in error or was just practicing some art because I saw him take a photo of it. Either way, a nice touch.

It's my local spot and they have developed a really good team, service with a smile and a good value coffee.

They have their own roastery now having worked with Baobab before.. I hope to visit the roastery soon!

I have seen them handing out an over order coffee quite a few times.. Always a nice bunch.

A world away from some of the pretentious crap going on elsewhere.

Have to visit Full Circle themselves in Jacobs Inn to see what it's like.

On a side note, there is a little fold out map now of the better coffee shops in Dublin-need to visit a few! Picked mine up at a nice spot above a book shop on DOlier St.... Like having a good coffee in a student digs!!

But other places that do it well?

My top few? No particular order.. Happy Pear Greystones, Roasted Brown Temple Bar, Coffee Angel Several locations, The Dublin Barista School South Ann St (Love The Barn coffee) Kaph by Georges St Arcade... And a cheeky sixth is Two Fifty Square in Rathmines.
Oh! And Bear in Blackrock!!

What's yours?

It's a pity about Shoe Lane as it is very handy to where I work at the moment and whilst the pricing of an extra shot won't have me ordering one, the coffee is really good.. Real pity

Danzy

That would have woke you up more than the Espresso. Some cheek.

jive

ckeego wrote: »

My top few? No particular order.. Happy Pear Greystones, Roasted Brown Temple Bar, Coffee Angel Several locations, The Dublin Barista School South Ann St (Love The Barn coffee) Kaph by Georges St Arcade... And a cheeky sixth is Two Fifty Square in Rathmines.
Oh! And Bear in Blackrock!!

What's yours?

I haven't been to too many myself in Dublin but have tried Clement & Pekoe + 3FE. Clement & Pekoe was very good and I went back a few times, not as nice as The Happy Pear coffee I had but still excellent. 3FE was a bit on the bitter side but more personal flavour preference than a bad shot. I bought some good beans out of 3FE but again slightly bitter for me; must try get my hands on some Happy Pear beans to see if I can get close to how their coffee was in the cafe (I won't but I'll try ). I must try Bear / Kaph / Coffee Angel soon.

Planet X

Go to Vice, Middle Abbey Street when in town. Like the atmosphere, food and coffee. Dublin Doughnut company supply them

ckeego

Planet X wrote: »

Go to Vice, Middle Abbey Street when in town. Like the atmosphere, food and coffee. Dublin Doughnut company supply them

Plus one on that... Can't believe I left them out

ckeego

jive wrote: »

I haven't been to too many myself in Dublin but have tried Clement & Pekoe + 3FE. Clement & Pekoe was very good and I went back a few times, not as nice as The Happy Pear coffee I had but still excellent. 3FE was a bit on the bitter side but more personal flavour preference than a bad shot. I bought some good beans out of 3FE but again slightly bitter for me; must try get my hands on some Happy Pear beans to see if I can get close to how their coffee was in the cafe (I won't but I'll try ). I must try Bear / Kaph / Coffee Angel soon.

Coffee Angel have a new spot opened just off College Green..Will report next week!

The beans from The Happy Pear are excellent.. Have tried both the Rwandan and Colombian... Very good value too..

Very difficult to come close to how well they pull their shots in the cafe...😉

Speaking of pull, a special mention to the guy who does the markets in Bantry and Schull.. Manual pull machine using Badger and Dojo coffee from the back of a van.. Brilliant!

PPC

ckeego wrote: »

Coffee Angel have a new spot opened just off College Green..Will report next week!

It's a great spot, both staff and coffee are excellent and extremely consistent.

ckeego

PPC wrote: »

It's a great spot, both staff and coffee are excellent and extremely consistent.

A number of familiar faces from the Sth Anne St branch when I walked past on Thursday!

I look forward to trying it out next week