There’s this place that’s always empty even though it is aesthetic and pretty innovative with their menu. Somehow, the place often slips through my mind and my friend’s whenever we’re deciding where to go for another WFC (work from cafe) session. While its location isn’t necessarily inaccessible and it is actually still in the city center, whenever I go there, I always find it pretty empty. A lot of people we talk to also rarely mention this place. Though I find that strange, apparently there’s one factor that hinders people from visiting the place.

They apparently have a barista & server problem. When you go inside a cafe and are welcomed with a cold smile and unfriendly side-eye judging, it makes the first impression unwelcoming. In fact, sometimes I feel like I would rather leave than having to go through the order. I certainly did not expect fake friendliness but since it’s their job at least, try to be nice even if their personality is cold and unwelcoming. My friend and I thought it was just our friendliness standard that got used to Yogyakarta's welcoming and friendly vibe. However, after talking to a few friends of ours and asked why they never visit the cafe, they spoke of similar experiences. Strangely, the owner never wants to fix that and improve that part. Instead, they seemingly use welcoming water as a way to compensate the unfriendly barista.

The last time I went there, I was honestly surprised. It wasn’t necessarily an awful experience. In fact, the previous day my friend went there and said something about the new barista they recruited. Unfortunately, when I visited the next day, the barista was the same unfriendly one. Though I got disappointed and hoped something would change, at least the drinks there are actually great.

Great Menu, Cold Service

As you can see below, these are the drinks we ordered. It looks really aesthetic, cold, and yummy. Presentation wise, there’s no cafe in my town that actually tops their presentation. They know which glassware to pick and how to serve it. It’s why sometimes I can compensate for the unfriendly barista with their awesome and delicious beverages.

Unfortunately, their wrap was so oily and it took around an hour to make it. Honestly, it was just a wrap but it took the cook such a long time to make. As you can see, this is how it looks and it costs almost $3 for this awful looking wrap that I could make from home for a fraction of the price and faster too. The taste was so-so, it was quite okay to fill up an empty stomach but not awesome enough to be ordered for the second time.

Maybe it's their hidden charm!

I don’t know why the management didn’t fix their barista problem. Perhaps nobody ever mentioned it to them and since this is a small town, seemingly to work as a barista, one has to get into the scene and go through some nepotism hoop. I found all that after talking to a friend and even from my friends who already lived here long enough and understand the coffee scene. I certainly don’t want to spend my money on a place where the barista is unfriendly and unwelcoming. Despite the drinks that are great, it still makes me reluctant to go there especially whenever I go, I am still not properly caffeinated and my tolerance to bullshit is pretty much zero. The only thing that made me not walk out of the place is that I am willingly going there knowing the experience is going to be shitty as long as the same barista is still stationed there.