Global Village Organic Coffee

I am writing this review with very mixed emotions. I have been going to Global since my first year at NCSU. I had become accustomed to the middle-aged gentleman that used to be there and how friendly and welcoming he was as well as great coffee options.

First the coffee is good!! but I am taking my business elsewhere….
Part of the staff is why I will NOT be going back. I like to go to local, friendly welcoming places, and unfortunately THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM ANYMORE.

There is a lady/barista, usually working in the morning (middle-aged, petite lady) that she is either the manager or thinks she's in charge. She is not friendly at all, very rude, and condescending with costumers. It seems that her demeanor is not with everyone because she can be so friendly and nice towards white customers.

The last straw was today, a group of students were talking and ordering and there were just masks up at the front and one of them took one mask to which she didn't politely say but yelled at them, not enough she proceeded to go outside behind them as they had not heard her response and yelled and reprimanded them in front of the shop. This is unacceptable. There was any sign posted around saying that the masks were for sale.

IF YOU WANT A NICE ATMOSPHERE, COMPARABLE PRICES AND WAY FRIENDLY STAFF, YOU CAN TRY JUBALA (just up the street), CUP OF JOE, or even STARBUCKS a little further the other way down Hillsborough. Sad that this lady didn’t consider we were 7 people in our party, and she made a scene out of ONE mask. (No sign they were for sale).

**Thank you for your response. The bigger issue was not about the mask. We didn't have any issue wearing a mask, we respect the mandate about wearing a mask inside the coffee shop. Usually establishments that have masks available are typically offering as a courtesy with mask mandate. You skipped over the larger issue about how the staff handled the situation yelling at clients inside the store and outside in public. One of us took a mask, the staff member was claiming they were for sale, I offered to pay for the mask and she was rude, so I don't know what motivate her to make a scene in front of everybody.
Terrible experience, I just prefer to go to places where the staff can be more friendly and kind towards regular clients.

Wish you the best!!

The owner of this shop treats all of his customers with such warmth and kindness. I can't believe yesterday was my first time ever coming to Global Village--the coffee is rich, the baked goodies are scrumptious, and the environment is in every way inviting. I will definitely be returning!

Nice staff, good coffee and the brownie was delicious!

My new favorite near campus, and one I'm sure I'll keep coming to throughout my doctoral adventure. Great coffee, tasty pastries, and a comfortable place to work when I need a change. Thanks for the welcome and amazing service every time I come in!

Global village has really good coffee and a wonderfully nice staff. They also have the best hot chocolate I've ever had! The owner is incredibly nice and love talking to him! My go to's are their hot chocolate, iced frappe, or mango smoothie. The only problem is that there aren't a lot of outlets and you can only charge your stuff if you are sitting in certain areas.

Absolutely wonderful little coffee house across the street from NCSU. Lots of options (hot and cold) for a nice strong brew. Extensive tea menu! The house-baked treats are always a win, too. Very friendly employees that are always fun to talk to and make great suggestions on those days you just don't know what to get. A weekly visit has become ritual for me, and I'm can't recommend it enough!

I'm in here all the time and I'm consistently impressed with the quality of my food/drinks, and friendliness of the staff. I get the tomato breakfast sandwich which is only $2.50, a delicious cheap breakfast. They get really busy in the morning but don't let that turn you off; it's amazing how quickly they get everyone served! Keep up the great work y'all.

Great coffee, but taking my business elsewhere.

I met up with some friends to get our usual coffee here on Wednesday. There used to be a stack of masks available on the countertop near the door. So, when needed, we would take one to ensure we were abiding by the store policy. We did this, along with other patrons (not just us) habitually, because we understood that these masks were available for customers to protect themselves/the other patrons in the store.

This time, we went in for our coffee, and one of our group members was needing a new mask, so she grabbed one from the front to replace the one that she had. None of us thought anything of this, since there used to be a stack of masks available for the clients.

When our group member took the mask, one of the women behind the bar started shouting at her across the shop until we left. We didn't hear her, so this woman followed us out to tell us that the masks were not free. Her approach was very aggressive and unwelcoming, and made us all feel very uncomfortable. She spoke to us as if we intentionally stole from the store.

If the masks are no longer free, we were not aware of this. The group member wasn't meaning to steal.

Regardless, there is a way of handling this kind of situation. And the combative apparoach that this person took was absolutely unnecessary.

I see that someone else mentioned this above. But, the point needs to get across: In customer service, yelling at a customer about something they were oblivious to, and then following them out the door to ensure they hear you yelling, is absolutely uncalled for, innappropriate, and rude.

We are adults, not children. I hope there is something to learn from this and that you can do better in the future.

I'd start with moving the masks away from public reach to ensure this kind of confusion doesn't happen again.

As mentioned before, me and my other seven colleagues will not be coming here for our routine coffee break.

Every coffee I had here was absolutely splendid. Mocha, Pour Over, Decaf, Americano, etc. I kept trying different orders and was surprised at their consistency. I can GUARENTEE that I will stop by anytime I am in the city. The owners/employees also make you feel very welcome.

Enough with the pandemic theater!!

I was a semi-regular customer for many years, but after seeing their nasty behavior during 2020-2022 (including aggressive pro-mask attitude and discrimination against unvaccinated customers) I don't think I'll ever patronize this business again.

Also, the owner is not a nice person.