Olympia Coffee Roasting

"This Olympia Coffee location is operated under a strange despotism. It's a small structure that not many people can fit in. During COVID a limit on customers indoors at any given time was instituted. Since then the rule has remained, though it's relation to staff and customer safety is now dubious at best. In any case, there is no "official" reason for the rule--its just an arbitrary rule not connected to any epidemiological recommendation nor reinforced by any actually useful epidemiological rule, such as a mask mandate. In effect, it's the only shred of authoritarian power the institution has left to exercise, and exercise it they do, to the point of absurdity. I've always felt the staff here was "quietly rude" is that sort of passive aggressive way that you can't overtly call out, because its often soaked in a thin veneer of "Welcome in" (until they welcome you right back out) but which you can *feel* if you have any minimal sensitivity to the kind of fake politeness endemic to performative liberalism. But I digress, this is a coffee review after all, isn't it? Today, my partner and I came in out of the storm and rain to find 2 customers already present. We were greeted by the barista, then quickly told that there was a three person limit and we would have to wait outside (in the heavy rain, by implication). My partner and I aren't big people, we don't take up much space, we prefer a polite social distance. Standing there briefly, the space felt perfectly sufficient between us and the other customers. In a normal world, without the weird policing that places like this cling so desperately to, customers are capable of self-regulating. Humans know intrinsically when an environment is "full". We might squeeze in to get out of inclement weather (heat, cold, rain, snow, wind), but even that has a limit most of us are willing to recognize. Today, there was no squeezing necessary, and something approximating more social distance than would be experienced by 3 individuals spaced equidistantly from one another. This was two couples: my partner and I, and the two others already there. And it was raining hard, cold, windy. Are we so lost as a people that we can't make reasonable exceptions to already arbitrary rules for the sake of customer comfort and common decency? At what point does the dogma of post-COVID paranoia reach an untenable fever pitch? Are we humans or are we computer programs incapable of spontaneous kindness? If the West Olympia Coffee wants to keep playing the role of little monarchs in a microcastle, fine I guess. Just don't pretend your sanctimonious self-righteousness has any relation whatsoever to being concerned about anyone's well being, staff or customer alike. It's just a weird power game. Your coffee isn't worth the wait."

"Our fav coffee shop in town. Convenient location, every step is fair trade from the growing of the beans to roasting to transport to making the coffee. Highly recommended"

"Absolutely love! Been craving a real pumpkin spice latte and found one right here for the first time this season. Sweet people working there and running this small coffee shop. Be here daily as a new habit if I lived in the area. Highly recommended!"

"Its a small walk in-walk out local joint, but the women working there are very passionate about the coffee and my dark chocolate mocha was so good. Super affordable too, and I like the properly portioned cup sizes. I'm just visiting, but next time I'm here I'm definitely gonna go back here for a coffee. It's always the small local joints that have the best damn coffee. Go here."

"Stopped by this coffee shop on our way home from the Hood Canal. The staff was very friendly and super helpful with our large group order. We ordered variations of lattes, hot/cold, and were all very pleased with our drinks. We sat outside on lovely wooden tables and were able to have our dog join us comfortably. Hope to come here again."