You never know where the next great cup of coffee is going to come from. I found mine last Sat. at The Greenest Bean. You haven't heard about this new cafe? That’s because there isn't one yet. Enterprising Bedford broad Tricia Cowell microroasts fairly traded organic beans in her garage, bags em and brews em at local farmer's markets. I discovered her fab fuel at the Andover Farmer's Market. Selling bags o' beans for $8 seemed a steal for such quality juice. All this special treatment of small batch beans, some hailing from Bolivia via a Mass. distributor, is the fourth wave the beverage formerly known as dishwater is experiencing. I keep going back and forth on coffee's transformation. On the one hand I love a fresh tasting indie-brew, but I'm not down w/ forking over $2.25 for a Starbuck’s Clover-made tall. However if my neighbor is roasting beans that I can purchase a few days after they've toasted up (and the costs are not laughable) I say bring it on. I hope to meet Cowell for a first-hand view of her tiny roast empire next week and will report back. www.greenestbean.com. In this locavore era, do we care where our morning (noon and nite) cup comes from?
Local roast
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That's exciting! I'll definitely be heading to one of the farmer's markets to sample those beans.
There's also another local coffee roaster right here in Lowell, Café Solar (http://cafesolar.com/) roasts organic, fair-trade coffee using solar-powered roasters. Their coffee is quite tasty, reasonably priced and available right at Market Basket. It's local and green.
Probably not the right place to post but my girlfriend experienced something yesterday she had recently heard about.
She bought lunch at Olive that n'more. you order at the counter and they bring it to your table. When the bill came she used her plastic. She didn't leave a tip because it was very limited service. Last night she checked her account and the restaurant added a 16 percent tip. She didn't sign a slip with a tip!
Anyone else experience this?
That sounds pretty ballsy of them to do without consent, border-line criminal! I'd call the credit card company and dispute it on priciple.
Here's a question, when I order take-out and there's a line for a tip because the place has sit down service do I have to put anything?
Places with "dedicated" take-out staff make you feel obliged, but I usually get take-out because I'm trying to SAVE a few bucks. They ought to be happy I'm giving them any business at all instead of saving a few bucks by boiling a pound of pasta.
Ken,
Are you sure it posted yet? I had this happen at Cobblestones where they charged $60 for a $50 GIFT CARD. But, it was a temporary authorization. What happens is they authorize an amount with a standard tip to make sure that, should you tip, the amount goes through. The correct amount should post in a few days.
I usually don't tip at Olive That n More because I don't take the table service, I get to go. Maybe I'll put a buck in the jar or something. I've always felt leery, and not to use their staff as an example because I trust them, but their credit card machine, of signing papers with a blank tip line and total. Should anybody add an amount and total to that receipt, it has your signature on it. I also feel cheap just copying the price down to the total line and leaving a blank tip. Has anyone here ever had a bogus tip added at any restaurant in this manner?
What happens Ken is that the credit card company automatically accounts for a 20% tip when authorizing the sale. I used to be a sales rep for one of the c.c. prossecors, so I'm almost 100% sure this is what happened here. The extra charge should disappear within 24-hours. It's a way to protect the bank from someone close to the credit limit when the tip might put them over their limit.
Ken g:
Your girlfriend should call the owner/manager IMMEDIATELY! Adding in a tip when none was left is stealing and whoever did it could be (and should be) fired. Don't let them get away with it!!
Allow me to post definatively the situation here, as most people are not aware how credit/debit cards are processed, especially when it comes to restaurants. When credit card companies set up accounts with restaurants, they ASSUME a tip of 20%... While thats not always the case, its the assumption they make. What actually happens is that that total is put on as a HOLD, musch like when you pay for gas with a card, most stations put a $50 HOLD. You see the little stickers all over the pump. Jumpin Jack Flash is exactly right. When the card is actually PROCESSED, the amount you approved, ie actual amount, is charged to ur card. I hope this helps, as I would hate to assume that anyone would think anything inappropriate was occuring. And always, if you have any questions, CALL and ask a owner/manager.
(continuing slightly off-topic...)
Yet another reason to not use plastic.
Hi Guys
Thanks for the info. My girlfriend checked again last night and the "tip" was taken off. Not sure if it was the post or standard operating procedure of the credit card company.
It is something to keep our eyes on though!
Thanks again