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Recently I posted seeking advice about a Seattle coffee shop operating under extremely disgusting sanitary practices. I’ve reported them to the health department, but I also understand the power of the internet, and if I were a Monorail customer I’d want to know about what’s going on behind the scenes. More in comments. First things first, the Pike location does not have a rapid rinse, so they are not rinsing out milk pitchers in between drinks. So if you go there and get a latte, you’re drinking remnants of milk that have been already steamed dozens (if not hundreds) of times. This makes the milk burn and stick to the sides and bottom of the pitcher. Then it goes into your drink. They line up all their milk pitchers on top of the espresso machine to keep the old milk warm for the next drink, and to “eliminate waste”. They also have an open toilet behind the counter (yes you read that right), about 10 feet or less away from where they’re preparing drinks. This toilet does not have a lid on it, is filthy, and the staff uses it daily, often without latching the pocket door. Near the toilet, they store their merch, clean towels, mop materials, cleaning materials, coffee bags, staff member belongings, etc. I prepared a batch of cold brew in a grimey mop sink directly next to the toilet. A manager trained me on how to do it this specific way. Oh! They also don’t sanitize their dishes. Just wash and rinse. At their Westlake location, they’re using the same shop vac hose for messes on the floor that they use to clean out the espresso grinder at the end of every day. I also saw them do this at the 4th Ave location. They are not sanitizing the hose between uses. I’ve also included a photo of what their sanitizer bucket looks like. I watched the baristas on bar, during business hours, drop multiple things on the floor (portafilter, cold foam squeeze bottles) and continue using them like nothing happened. Everything there is covered in a layer of sugar/grime and it’s disgusting. The fact that the entire staff collectively see nothing wrong with any of this genuinely keeps me up at night. I don’t know if a slap on the wrist from the health department will get the message across or bring about the appropriate internal change, maybe it will. But I believe in informed consent, and this extends to beloved Seattle coffee shops too. Sorry if I just ruined your day but I’d wanna know if I were you. submitted by /u/TrueWinter8573 |
