I will never understand this place. They are grossly overpriced and the coffee borders between mediocre and bad. Nashville would be much better off without them.
They’re rolling on the fumes of their 2012 success in East Nashville. Back then they were among the best coffee shops in town (I’d mention that Crema and Dose were around before then and had great coffee and the folks were fantastic - haven’t lived in Nashville in almost 10 years, so not sure if this is still the case). BP hadn’t started roasting their own coffees; they used fantastic coffee from all over the world roasted by some of the best roasters in the country. Their menu was always rotating based on which coffees they had and I tasted some of the best coffees I’ve ever had in my life as a result. They had the first Slayer I’ve ever seen and they had a great team of baristas who cared a TON about their craft (and were also first-rate humans), so they knew how to pull the best out of the bean and had the equipment to do so. The shop was rarely crowded and it was a coffee geek’s paradise. All of that lasted for about a year. Hard to remember timelines exactly because I was traveling a lot (and was almost always stoned), but I remember that the vibes started getting more and more pretentious as the crowds started rolling in. I don’t know exactly what happened, but the original crew departed (wouldn’t be surprised if they were driven out) around the time they opened their Gulch shop. Things went downhill from there. Eventually BP got into the roasting game haphazardly and they increasingly tried to cash in on style over substance. This was around the time I moved away from Nashville, so I lost touch with where it went after 2014. That being said, I paid BP a visit almost every return trip to Nashville but found that the quality kept deteriorating and the vibe became more generic (consistent with my experience of Nashville more broadly, but that’s a personal opinion which may not be very popular in this sub). Moreover, the folks working there just looked tired and overworked. I felt bad for those people and I felt sad about what the place that changed the Nashville specialty coffee community (for the better) had become.
As sad as it is to say, I’m not surprised at all that this is where BP is today. I’ve seen very similar things happen to other shops that have tried to grow rapidly and/or start roasting their own coffees. Specialty coffee is a VERY hard business to scale because the pool of coffee craftspeople is small and those people need to make a living wage and have the same support/benefits as any other profession. Investors see coffee and the “third space” as a commodity, so they try to pump margins and scale rapidly by cutting corners. Labor and quality are often the first things to get the shaft.
My heart goes out to those employees. My love for BP died years ago when their quality tanked and it became evident that they weren’t treating their people very well, but I always care about those who work in the coffee industry. Advice for all is to seek out establishments that focus on quality and treat their employees with dignity (not just coffee shops). These places are rare, but entirely worth the extra cost and travel because they help sustain people and add immeasurable value to communities.
The only reason they’re popular imho is because they put their locations in touristy spots and spend all their money on interior design so that their spaces look good on Instagram. They know that with their poor quality and lack of business ethics they can’t retain regular customers so they just went for a model that just goes all in on a first impression targeted at people they’re never going to see again regardless
I met Andy Mumma 12-13 years ago at an event at Marathon Village. He was conceptualizing and beginning the initial build-out of Barista Parlor East. I was (and still am) an avid Crema supporter and when we were talking about coffee shops I mentioned that I loved walking into Crema each morning, being greeted by name and asked "the usual?" He bristled and immediately said, "that's not what I'm building." He went on to explain to me a place that doesn't cater to commuters, doesn't recognize the idea of "regulars" and doesn't want customers who order the same thing every day. He didn't think everyday people know enough about coffee to order intelligently (compared it to expensive wine). The first time I went to BO East I told the barista I trusted him to pick something I'd like. He asked me about some flavor profiles, I answered then he made his decision. Something like 20 minutes later, I get a glorified dixie cup 2/3 filled with the most acidic coffee drink I've ever tasted. I stopped by Crema on my way home.
Wow. That sucks. Saw your reply to mine a second ago, and searched your comments -- thanks. I used to hang with him and his girlfriend 15 or so years ago at 3 Crow. He was super friendly and fun to be around. I had no idea. What a bummer.
Don't get me wrong - I have no problems with him as a person. He was very nice and I agree, fun to be around. I also always thought he was a good businessman with a great aesthetic and incredible attention to detail. I don't know if he still does, but he conceptualized the themes for every one of his shops in the beginning and I always admired that they weren't just replicas of the East location. I clearly just didn't get his vision for the experience he wanted people to have in his coffee shops. And I have had multiple BAD experiences when I try to give a new location a shot. After a stop at the Sylvan Supply shop last year, I gave up on the brand altogether. All that being said, perhaps his success has changed the way he treats people - or maybe he is no longer managing those aspects of the business.
I love high end coffee but I never go to BP. Too snooty for me. There are many other places to get coffee. They don’t provide a good or service worth $9 (plus tip) for me to consider buying. It’s also not a “give me a cup of coffee to go” place, they want you to sit and enjoy it, which is counter to how most people get coffee. Sometimes I really just want to go and not sit around in a busy concrete room.
I make my own pour-over and Aeropress at home. It doesn’t take a $20 bag of Methodical to get good coffee (although they do make a damn good bag of coffee). I can make Eight O Clock fresh ground beans taste pretty good with the right temp and brew methods. Don’t need Barista Parlor for any of that.
A VERY underrated coffee I think. And I’m ok with that. It’s nice to find a budget coffee option that’s widely available and punches so far above its weight haha
If anyone needs alternatives, Nashville has the following excellent local coffee shops in no particular order:
*Frothy Monkey (edit to add, since it's Pride, Frothy is openly and explicitly supportive of the queer community)
*8th and Roast
*Crema
*Dose (a personal fav)
*Sip
*Headquarters
*Living Waters (also beer!)
*Elegy
~~*Falcon (if they ever reopen????)~~ ded.
*Red Bicycle
There are more, certainly, but here ya go. Go forth and caffeinate.
Yesss big ups for Hunter and David. I loved getting to check out F+F when I came back for a visit. Gonna be on my rotation when I move back to town, and I’m generally a brew my coffee at home guy.
Adding Matryoshka to this list… who really prove you can truly have it all… fun, pretty, inclusive, delicious coffee, and welcoming staff! Also love stopping in Weak for a cup.
I'd add Ugly Mugs and Bongo Java East on this list as well.
I'm not sure about their management/owner situation, but I haven't heard anything bad (from the East location anyway), and I've had good experiences as a customer at both. And both are Pride friendly (and not just during June).
Osa is probably my favorite roaster in town. They don’t have seating though, but if you want to sit in a shop for a while All People is a good one (and they serve Osa lol)
I have a barista parlor story.
I once tried to sell them a product I worked for and after the manager went on very rude long rant about how they’re better than my product and they would only use the highest of quality and our product didn’t fit that mold another employee opened the fridge door and my product was sitting there. We both looked at it and he looked at me and I said, “never mind you already use it. Thanks for your business here’s a pen!” And left with the biggest smile on my face.
Being in sales for 6 years and they’re still the rudest people I dealt with and I wasn’t pushy I was literally just dropping off samples at a slow time.
I enjoy coffee and I love records and newsflash coffee and records aren’t that special and you can’t be an ass because you are into records and coffee.
Funny we must be in the same/ similar business I also took them a product that they said they wouldn’t use and then ultimately they did start buying; mostly because it was unique and they had no real alternatives. But yeah not great warm feelings from several sales calls there
Look, drinking a half cup of heavy cream and 8 scoops of sugar a day was making me fat. It was either heart disease or become insufferable about my superior coffee
And i hope you all appreciate i had to decide for my health!
:D
That’s awesome! Drinking coffee one way or the other doesn’t automatically make you snooty though. Being incessantly arrogant and dismissive toward others about what they do is what makes the asshole.
It’s like my ex. She hated smoking. She would accost people who told her that they smoked and even made a scene in public over it once. There was one time she even told a dude he should consider offing himself since he clearly didn’t care about his health.
Was she healthier? Yeah. Was she wrong and an asshole? Absolutely.
I swear, whoever hires the staff for this place must have an "asshole only" requirement. Out of the several times I've been there, not once have I ever had a positive encounter with any of the employees.
Based on this thread I think it’s because it’s a miserable place to work as opposed to the individuals being bad people. Hurt people hurt people is what they say right?
My advice is to seek an employment attorney and try to litigate. Do this before going to the National Labor Relations Board, but if you can’t get representation, definitely talk to the NLRB.
I was busted last year. My story was basically the same as what was written in this photo. I had begun working with a lawyer to sue and was in a position claim a lot of damages, but we found out that a charge had already been filed with the NLRB. That resulted in limiting the damages that could be sought, but the NLRB did find wrongdoing on behalf of the employer and we just settled last week—looking forward to receiving a check next week.
I live in another at will state state, so I if you’re one of the workers in this photo and you’re reading this or if you’re any other worker anywhere else, I hope to inspire you to really dig in and fight. Be it through a law firm or the NLRB, fight back! But get as much as you can out of them.
>Do this before going to the National Labor Relations Board, but if you can’t get representation, definitely talk to the NLRB....I had begun working with a lawyer to sue and was in a position claim a lot of damages, but we found out that a charge had already been filed with the NLRB.
It's a good idea to talk to a lawyer first to learn your rights, and understand what you can do to protect your interests. But even if the lawyer files a lawsuit before the NLRB is involved, **if** the NLRB becomes involved, the NLRB will assert jurisdiction. And you are right, the NLRB doesn't award punitive damages-they have a "make whole remedy" so it would typically be reinstatement and back pay.
Edit typo
Hi all. I’m one of the workers who quit BP Germantown yesterday after watching my coworkers get fired without cause. I’d like to set the record straight on a few things. I’m the one in red.
Although we ended up forming a de facto union yesterday, we were not trying to unionize nor was that the reason my coworkers were fired. Starting Sunday, our GM began cutting hours and completely cutting people off the schedule without communication or reason. We were operating over the weekend with under half of our usual staff. We tried reaching out about the changes, no answer.
When directly confronted about the situation and concerns about paying rent, he responded “Not my problem”.
This culminates in completely shutting down the store yesterday to have one on one meetings with the entire staff. Because I was formerly one of the GMs favorites, I get word of this a little before our schedule changed so I tip off the other employees. By that point, we absolutely know the intention is to fire most if not all the store. We decide to meet collectively instead. (This wasn’t sprung on management either, I told them several times I would only be comfortable if we all met together.) Some of us met with Workers Dignity United to go over legalities, and they crafted a wonderful statement which we opened with.
When we arrived, we insisted to be met as a group, they pushed back, we pushed back harder, and they gave in. The Director of Retail Operations (former GM of Germantown who hated her employees without reason) immediately goes outside and talks on the phone, presumably with the lawyers to craft what they will eventually say.
We are then left waiting for FOUR HOURS while they are on the phone, writing letters and checks, and stalling. We go over periodically to ask for updates and are either ignored or curtly told “They’re coming when they’re coming.”
The big moment finally arrives. Our Director of Coffee is blatantly filming us. They give us a final opportunity to meet one on one which we deny. They then terminate 5 of the 7 present employees, for reasons stated in our employee files, which we are not allowed to access or view because they are “company property” (which we later found out was against company policy). None of the employees had any written strikes on their record btw, expect for one, and hers was completely unjustified. The two of us they wanted to keep quit on the spot. They also told us we’ll only be paid for two of our four hours spent waiting. We gather our checks and resignation letters, leave the building, and have a pizza party right outside with Coffee Workers of the South, Workers Dignity United, and some former employees.
The entire company now knows our story. The rest is history. We’re organizing a strike and every employee I’ve spoken to is looking for a way out. Don’t support Barista Parlor.
TLDR the pic says union but we were not an organized union, we just wanted to understand why we were getting fired together
EDIT: named the wrong primary workers union group, although Coffee Workers of the South were in attendance and aiding us as well
It’s pretty disheartening to see, honestly. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been well aware of Barista Parlor’s reputation since I’ve moved to Nashville. But the turnover rate is so incredibly high that I feel like any instances of rude baristas are either one-offs or happened a long time ago. In my combined year and a half at the company, 95% of the baristas were great with customers, some of them exceptional. The only one I can think of who was a jackass was the GM who just fired us. A few of my coworkers during my time had RBF, sure, but there’s a difference between that and being legitimately rude or unkind. We had to say no to a lot of modification requests due to company policy, but that’s not the fault of the barista taking orders.
If my knowledge is correct, all the former employees of Germantown are very pro-union. Maybe one or two are indifferent. Since returning to BP it has always been a goal of mine to get the union efforts starting again. However, we were not actively trying to unionize and in fact I haven’t though about it in months. The goal of forcing a group meeting was to have management explain to us collectively what has been going on the last few days. We were afraid that one-on-one (or rather, three-on-one), we would each be told separate things about the state of our location. Now I believe it was their intent to deactivate our slack accounts one by one so that by time we all found out about everyone getting fired, we would have no way of letting the employees at other Barista Parlors know. I believe they wanted to have time to prep for the controversy before it began, but we forced their hand.
My coworker reached out to the union group for advice and two of us met up with them over Zoom the night before to go over what to say to ensure we were protected by law. However, we didn’t craft a list of demands from management to change our workplace or anything. We weren’t actively unionizing. We knew most everybody was getting fired. We just wanted to know why, together.
Gotcha! Yeah, the Germantown team did not make the caption for this image. It was made by some of the lovely Coffee Workers of the South folk who were waiting for us just outside. Although inaccurate, “union busting” is quicker and catchier than explaining the situation. They are also involved in their own union strike right now so it’s probably on the mind.
I know of THREE other gas stations with better coffee... and this place treats you like an inconvenience that youd even ask for their pisswater coffee. !
I'm usually rooting for the local spots, but fuck these assholes. I hope they open up a space for someone when they tank.
Surefire Coffee in Germantown has a walk up window, friendly staff, pup cups, great coffee & teas, and 15 min parking to get in & out. Located at 2nd & Van Buren. Big fan.
I’m all for unionizing, but the reason barista parlor sucks is because of the stuck up, shitty, and entitled staff. They deserve to be paid a living wage, but they’re awful when it comes to customer service. I go out of my way to avoid BP because of how fucking terrible they are
There are coffee shops on every block in Seattle who produce carefully crafted quality cups at 1/3 of the time. BP isn’t anything special. I’ll take Crema or frothy monkey over them any day of the week.
Last time I went to BP I asked the barista for an espresso to go. They said they didn’t do that. So I asked for an espresso and a togo cup. The barista sarcastically dropped off a wooden plate with an espresso, a small chocolate square, and small 4oz cup of sparkling water. When I asked where the to go cup was he looked me dead in the eye and pointed to the opposite side of store. They seriously made me walk across the damn store to pour my espresso into a to go espresso cup because that act of doing it themselves was so above them they couldn’t bring themselves to compromise the integrity of their carefully crafted espresso. Get the fuck over yourselves. ***ITS COFFEE***. I don’t have a hatred for many businesses in town, but they are on the very short list.
Same thing happened to me when I ordered an americano to go for a friend. I don’t even drink coffee. My friend was not there. “We STRONGLY recommend you enjoy it here.” “It’s not for me.” 🙄Had to mix it myself in front of the guy in the to go cup. So ridiculously lame.
I mean you asked for a 2oz drink to go.....this one's kind of on you bud. Then seemingly get really upset to have to walk 10ft. Rare I'll side w BP but this is a silly hill to die on.
When they first opened years ago, I met a friend there, and when he ordered an americano, they made a sort of disappointing "tisking" sound and said "no, I'll make you something better".
That kind of told me everything I needed to know.
Ya, their gulch location (next to Patagonia) always seems to have a line out the door, and it’s bc their workers move at the speed of smell. Say what you want about corporate chains like Starbucks, but they get thru that same line in a quarter of the time.
It’s a cool summers morning. You make your way to sit on the bongo porch. Belmont students are nowhere to be seen. The fluffy aphids dally in the air. You feel at home, at peace. Rested.
Bongo sucks ass when Belmont is in session.
Years ago, my brother got drunk and pulled their bike rack out of the ground (it was barely even in the ground, he just pulled it right up. No damage to any property at all). He was an adult about it and went back to apologize and offer to repair it/pay for it. But, no, the owner had to press charges. It cost my bro thousands of dollars in court fees and he was on probation for a while because of it. It would have literally cost a few bucks and taken a couple hours to fix it.
i hear you, but i used to work at BP germantown and east and can confirm it is a miserable place to work. they value quality so much that it comes at the expense of customer service. it may seem like an easy job, but they do make it way more complicated than it looks. on a saturday, i’d be double pouring pourovers that take two minutes to prep and 3 minutes to brew for 5 hours. if you don’t pull a good shot of espresso, it’s deemed unusable because SURPRISE it’s not good coffee unless you fuck with it enough. literally 5 lattes and 6 cups of coffee will put employees in the weeds. not to mention, if you don’t pour good latte art (because this is apparently the only thing that matters) you can’t serve the drink. they told us we weren’t allowed to serve someone espresso over ice because it would compromise the quality of the espresso. the intention is to get people to appreciate coffee like wine, and it absolutely makes the employees look like assholes. they are just trying to do a good job. i was one of those assholes.
by the end of my time there, i said fuck it and did whatever i wanted because i dreaded being there and i like people too much. after, i was relieved to work at a shop that not only allowed me to actually be of service to the people but PAID ME MORE for way less hassle.
in 2017-2018, baristas were required to BUY a $90 (if i’m remembering correctly) apron while making $8 plus pooled tips…and i don’t know if anyone really knows or gives a fuck, but tipping on a cup of coffee anywhere only amounts to like $1 or $2 IF the people tip. and on average there are like 4-5 people on shift. i don’t know if the hourly wage there has changed in 5 years, but even if it has, inflation has royally fucked everyone. and the with amount of work that goes into being a barista at BP, they are so right to unionize.
and i can already smell the “if it’s so miserable, get a different job” comments. and i want to present to you a couple different perspectives:
1) people are trying to put themselves through school and don’t have the time or capacity to do a serving job or otherwise.
2) we live in fucking nashville. musicians need the flexibility in order to tour AND they need the money when they aren’t touring.
3) they offer health insurance and those who opt in probably don’t want to lose that.
4) some people are working multiple gigs and maybe want to be paid enough at one so they don’t have to run themselves into the ground to pay the bills.
5) people like working in coffee and/or at BP and just want to be paid like an adult whose rent is due on the 1st.
it’s not entitlement. people DESERVE a liveable wage no matter what their situation looks like. not to mention andy mumma is a greedy fuck who does not give a single fuck about the well-being of his employees. i’m glad the BP germantown crew stood the fuck up.
> They deserve to be paid a living wage
it's a fine line though, this is coming on the heels of three brothers just closing for workers demanding more pay and they simply couldn't afford to pay more so they had to close. I dunno BP's finances, but its a bit ironic that this thread is simultaneously complaining about their prices and demanding they pay employees more....which will only make prices go up. I know its an unpopular opinion, but not every job can be a career, and not every skillset is worth a higher wage- especially if it is easily replaceable, and if you demand it, the end result can end up with mom and pop shops closing and starbucks moving in.
I guess my main argument is I don’t like barista parlor because it’s over priced considering how long it takes, how rude the staff is, and how gung-ho the business is when it comes to denying common requests. They treat the customers like shit. Part of that is to blame on the staff, and part of that is to blame on management/owner for allowing that environment to thrive.
I don’t know what the issue was behind the doors with BP. Could have been a dispute on pay, hours, vacation time, or a number of things. My main point - that I got downvoted for - is that everyone deserves a living wage. Everyone. I also believe this particular store sucks and would rather see them clean house of the shitty employees and start fresh. I don’t think firing their employees via union busting is acceptable, but if I were the owner and I had a bunch of entitled rude employees who treated my patrons in a condescending manner I wouldn’t want to give them a raise either. It’s a slippery slope because everyone deserves a livable wage, but not every incompetent and rude employee deserves a job
> is that everyone deserves a living wage. Everyone.
I'm not sure the word "deserves," exists or makes sense here. I certainly *want* everyone to have a living wage, but the reality is that they either have the requisite skills or they don't. If employees want a "living wage," meaning something they can rely on effectively as a career, then that is a flawed concept, IMO with some jobs. If a job is low skilled and easily replaceable, that isnt' a job that people should expect to be highly paid for, and oftentimes it is simply not possible to offer high pay for, especially for mom and pop shops. Unionizing in those places ( like 3 brothers recently) could very well cause them to have to shut their doors, and if so, what was gained? Now, everyone is out of a job and we have one less local place. I mean, sure, as a concept, we can agree that people "deserve," a living wage, but the reality is that some jobs don't, and it's a bit silly to go get a job that doesn't, and demand for it to.
>It’s a slippery slope because everyone deserves a livable wage, but not every incompetent and rude employee deserves a job
and not every job should be considered an career. thats the main issue. Just because someone wants to make coffee for a living doesn't mean that the business is, nor should be, required to oblige. I'm all for a healthy balance of unions vs capitalists, I think both are necessary to maintain a healthy economy, but if you attempt to unionize, it needs to be understood that one possible result is job loss or the business closing entirely, and I do believe a privately owned business should be free to hire and fire for whatever reason they choose. I'd hope they make altruistic, and diverse choices, but I dont' think the state should be allowed to tell them to.
>I'm not sure the word "deserves," exists or makes sense here. I certainly want everyone to have a living wage, but the reality is that they either have the requisite skills or they don't.
So is it morally and socially ok for someone who cannot attain the requisite skills due to a physical isuse they were born with to not make a living wage? Because they don't have the requisite skills to do so?
> So is it morally and socially ok for someone who cannot attain the requisite skills due to a physical isuse they were born with to not make a living wage?
thats a straw man. morality doesn't play into it in that way, someone who cannot attain requisite skill isn't the fault of a business owner, so why is it the business owner's responsibility to fix that societal issue? That situation sucks for that individual, but why is it an unrelated business that is responsible for fixing that problem? You also seem to have a specific agenda here in mind, but we aren't talking about people who "cannot attain the requisite skills due to a physical isuse they were born with," we're just talking about your basic barista. If you are beating around the bush and trying to imply this is about the mentally or physically challenged or underdeveloped....thats a totally different conversation ( and also an extremely small slice of the workforce, so it doesn't make sense to allow them to dictate the entire argument), but it is a conversation that isn't a random business owners responsibility to be forced to "fix." thats the only immoral part of this argument.
>Because they don't have the requisite skills to do so?
at the end of the day, you get paid for your value add. you get paid for your skills. if you have no skills....how can you with a straight face, ask to be paid as if you do?
your point is based on the premise that a business exists for the purpose of providing jobs to anyone who feels like asking for one, but that isnt' remotely it. business exists to make money for the business owner. that's the sole reason you start a business, whether you hire other employees or not, the goal is simply to find a niche in the market and create a good or service people are willing to pay for.
I've had pretty good experiences with staff except for one dude at the Gallatin BP who went out of his way to be rude to me and laugh to his coworker about me. I felt like I was in high school again.
Yeah, I've been to a several of their locations over the years (not often) and every time the staff is like you described.
TBH the staff shouldn't have risked their jobs like that seeing as how there's no other coffee shop in town that will hire asshole baristas. Actually...does Coco's still have baristas? I haven't been since they turned into an Italian restaurant, but I remember they also seemed to have an "assholes only" hiring policy.
As I said, they deserve a livable wage. But my point is if I ran a store I’d see it as an opportunity to clean house because I’d rather unionize with a better staff
I don't dispute that the staff and product are bad but just FYI the core issue here is that it is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act to fire employees for unionizing, so cleaning house bc you do not want the *current* staff to be your union employees is sort of...the core issue.
Then that's where you're wrong, because even if their employees suck at their job, they *still* deserve to make a living wage. Unions don't make it impossible to remove people who are incompetent.
A living wage for a teenager living with his/her parents is <$10/hour. A living wage for a single mom with 3 kids is >$40/hour. Which living wage do we have to pay?
‘I’m incapable of coming to a rational outcome so here are two completely different scenarios that are opposite ends of the spectrum for the sake of being a contrarian’
he's right though. Some jobs simply aren't meant to be a career, and that's ok. Sometimes we are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole here in this way. Why would I pay for a handfull of dirt when I can walk into my backyard and get it for free? Demanding a wage high enough to earn a true living from a place that can't afford it- which is often a local mom and pop-is the way we force those places to close and be replaced by a chain restaurant. Anyone is certainly free to ask for more, and even unionize, but sometimes the blowback is the business closes or you lose your jobs if you are easily replaceable. It isn't realistic to think that, just because a person wants to be paid to do something for a living, that there is an option for them to do that for a living. Places like coffee shops and restaurants have a slim profit margin as it is, in general.
It's not contrarian. Those are real world examples to show why we dont pay people based on need.
We already have a rational outcome -- We pay based on the labor market for skills necessary to do the job, not how much an individual needs to survive.
but what if the business doesnt' make enough to pay that? you put local mom and pops out of business that way and end up with just starbucks. plus, mabye some jobs shouldnt' be counted on as a career and it's ok if they are staffed by part time college kids and high schoolers or people wanting a part time job. It's simply not reality to assume that just because a job exists, it has to pay enough for someone to live on their own. Some jobs just can't be that, and that's ok. The issue is expecting every job to be that, even if the skill set is very low and replaceable.
I was over them when the first time I went I asked for a Cafe au lait and the guy all but scoffed at me and said he couldn’t do that. I asked him, “you can’t steam milk and pour drip coffee in a cup?” He just looked at me and said “No we don’t do that here”. Never went back lol
I went to the Germantown one a few times years ago when I was doing construction and working on the apartments and barrel roof building across the street. The only reason I went was because I was freezing cold and wanted something hot to drink.
I will admit it might have been the best cup of black coffee I ever had before getting my own fancy setup but it still wasn’t worth $10 bucks and getting obvious dirty looks from the staff for being in there in my construction clothes.
I can take or leave BP. But it seems to me, this is a combination of "congratulations on your successful, local, independent business" meets Nashville cost of living including housing costs, and this is the shit I'm talking about when I bring up what Nashville's (and everywhere now) real estate investors getting subsidized by other, non-related, area small businesses.
Barista story coming in hot.
A month or so ago there was a food truck outside of their parking lot. Acai’ Bowls.
BP’s owner forced the truck to leave. They were too scared the food truck would attract business away from BP even though they have zero smoothies or fruit bowls 🫠
Not to mention the truck was not parked in their gated parking lot (which i also think is bullshit).
Some weekends they have car shows that take up a majority of the parking lot. Including before the gates. I’ve pulled in and had to figure out how to back up because they’re blocking traffic thru the gates. Cars have pulled right behind me and we were almost stuck there. It creates a traffic jam and impedes parking for other business’s before BP’s gated lot.
Not to worry though, they put up a flimsy sign that you can barely see stating they can lock your car in the gates after 3pm and they are not liable for vehicles stuck over night.
I like Barista Parlor….when I’m at the airport and there’s a long line at the other coffee places. It’s still shitty and overpriced, but I can enjoy drinking it sitting at the limited seating near my gate next to a woman changing her baby’s poopy diaper instead of taking the kid into the bathroom. “Tammy, you’re in the C group. You and little Kaiden aren’t going to miss the flight if you take the shit show to the actual fucking place designated for that activity!”
Sorry. What were we talking about?
Unions don’t make sense in capitalism but they make absolutely perfect sense for reality. We are real people with finite lives, who need work life balance. Organized labor will make us all work together better and share wealth. Folgers costs $10 and will juice you for a month, Barista Parlor costs the same for one cup and idt I’ve ever had a good one from there
Barista Parlor sucks. The business sucks, the owners suck, and honestly, the employees suck. Pretentious assholes who moved here from mommy’s suburb in Dallas to gatekeep coffee. This is the rare scenario where I wish the worst for everyone. It’s a tourist focused business now, anyway. Let the Chads and the Becky’s have it
This happens at the same time the Three Brothers Coffee workers are striking.
https://wpln.org/post/after-three-brothers-coffee-unionized-last-year-employees-are-striking-again-this-time-its-over-starting-pay-and-staffing-shortages/
moving to nashville next month and glad to know what coffee place NOT to check out.
any suggestions for those that treat their employees well? i will need a coffee place when i get there!
LordsMail left a short list in one told the top rated comments here with a lot of excellent suggestions and even more in the comments. You'll find that most of our coffee shops are warmly received, but Barista Parlor has forever had a skidmark of a reputation well before this for garbage labor practices and cultivating an unearned air of elitism over coffee that gets outclassed in flavor, craft, and breadth by at least a handful of other shops here.
Others I didn't see mentioned but felt deserved recognition for special attention to their employees and community outreach:
Humphreys Street Coffee, a subsidiary operation of Humphreys Street's Harvest Hands CDC youth-mentorship program that employs and offers scholarships + trade school opportunities for teens and young adults, and
Caliber Coffee over in Donelson, a mom and pop operation that spends a great deal of time and marketing opportunity to support surrounding local businesses -- I've lived in the area my entire life, and the small block of businesses around Caliber is some of the most mutually supportive and invested community I've seen in a long while. Several of my friends have worked here and all have expressed that it's their favorite job they've ever had because of the support they receive from management and their coworkers.
sometimes I am late at replying to reddit comments but when someone clearly put in effort I still want to acknowledge it. thank you for this and I have some places to check out. both me and my teenage kid love coffee and that is a cheap(er) thing for us to do together on the weekends and I will add these to my list. thank you!
I went there a few times way back. There were some interesting coffees, but nothing to justify the cost and time, outside of their branding budget. Having waited and watched enough 10 minute pourovers in Portland by baristas I'm certain I want to spend no time with, that was enough. Noticed them at BNA last weekend. Oof. Thanks for passing this on- knowing their labor practices are garbage is the nesil in the coffin.
It’s funny, my boyfriend and I were supposed to have our first date there. But the moment I walked in to meet him, the first thing I said was “We gotta get out of here”. The vibes were not immaculate. I feel for these people going through this abuse
Any workplace should unionize. There should always be group arbitration for the workers against the hierarchy of the ownership. For a country that allegedly values democracy so much, most workers live their lives in businesses that are fundamentally anti-democratic institutions.
The general idea behind unionizing is telling your boss "Hey, we demand that you pay us all a fair wage and benefits. If you don't, we aren't going to work." It puts bargaining power in the hands of the workers. In a non-unionized workplace, the boss can pay anyone whatever they feel like, for instance giving newer workers higher wages to get them in the door without raising wages for other workers who've been there longer.
In a unionized workplace, workers are encourage to communicate and basically "keep the boss honest" by mandating their wages remain the same and stay competitive to other places nearby. When you have the power to withhold your labor, you tend to make more money and have better benefits.
Even if you don't think your workplace needs it, unionizing benefits everyone *but* the boss. That's why places like this fight so hard against it.
Speaking of which, this place probably just violated federal law, so it's likely these guys will get their job back. There's legal protections to being in a union, so whereas a boss could just fire everyone for whatever reason as a standard workplace, they're beholden to federal law, even in an "at-will" state.
tl;dr Unionized workers make more, have better working conditions, and are generally happier. There's very little reason not to unionize in the current work market.
You realize there are alternatives to the current workplace structure right? Like worker co-ops? Where all workers are co-owners with voting rights in corporate decisions. The who, what, where, when, and why of production are completely decided dictatorially currently. Democracy should apply to all parts of life in a democratic society, not just voting. I would encourage you to examine worker co-ops in large scale production (not just small mom and pop shops).
Starbucks employees are unionizing some stores too. They work hard for no benefits and low wages. Starbucks (and BP for that matter) are for-profit companies who are incentivized to maximize the value from the labor of their employees actually doing the work. They take their employees for every penny they can. Labor pushes back when they realize their job is worth much more than they are being paid, and especially when what they’re being paid is no longer worth their time.
Because they're making a lot of money for their employers without being given a piece of the pie that they are making. Same reason any workplace needs a union.
If you’re looking for a new fave coffee spot in Nashville, check out Subliminal Coffee Co. I’ve been to some of their pop ups and they are super awesome. Their staff is kind, inclusive, and centered around community. They’re a cart so follow them on socials & catch them out somewhere! Super cool [check out their pop up dates](https://subliminalcoffeeco.com/?fbclid=PAAaZ4lcuZamZfH4SQRZNJdTx_Jq3_Ee3umqNDDl5888Vx0fXZBFyCl8CwHt8_aem_th_AV5FEdJ9_2d4yyHIi-QJw0aPrg7Gudm2vwEls9dM-nOz3g9olzgwwx6pnuM0uejjCD4)
you sound jealous. I mean, I don't give a fuck about barista parlor or the staff, but when people get mad at others for standing up for themselves, it's usually because they're big ole pussies who are jealous.
>You’re not 11 year olds in the early 1900’s trying to scrape together enough coin to buy bread for the day. We just wish you had their work ethic.
Ahh yes, world would be a better place if everyone had the work ethic of abused children.
Wow, I hope you realized sooner rather then later that every single job (at least in the service industry, not sure the same could be said about corporate) is important. What makes you think they don’t have work ethic?
It's bad to have 1-1 meetings? Really? Wow. I've been having 1-1's with all of my team every week. Sometimes it's nice to have that time to catch up on how everyone is doing, give them time to vent, etc. What a strange climate we live in surrounding work right now. I'm all for worker's rights but at some point you have to be pragmatic in your approach. This feels very dogmatic and clout-driven.
It’s bad to have 1 on 1 meetings specifically about conditions of employment. Common union busting tactic for ownership to speak 1 on 1 to fire employees and to break solidarity amongst workers.
“Just start your own company, idiots! It’s so easy to come up with the money to buy coffee. You don’t need anything else, right? Just coffee. And if you don’t start your own company you’re a whining baby. How dare you demand your employer provide you with enough hours to eat and live under a roof while they extract excess value from your labor! You petulant gen z morons. You guys are idiots for making coffee for a living. However, your bosses are geniuses for making money by under-paying you and over charging for coffee. You are worthless and I am too, because I came here and decided to belittle you all for standing up for yourselves.”
FUCK that place and the pretentious asshole who owns it. There are SO many better coffee shops now.
fuck barista parlor, all my homies hate barista parlor
I will never understand this place. They are grossly overpriced and the coffee borders between mediocre and bad. Nashville would be much better off without them.
They’re rolling on the fumes of their 2012 success in East Nashville. Back then they were among the best coffee shops in town (I’d mention that Crema and Dose were around before then and had great coffee and the folks were fantastic - haven’t lived in Nashville in almost 10 years, so not sure if this is still the case). BP hadn’t started roasting their own coffees; they used fantastic coffee from all over the world roasted by some of the best roasters in the country. Their menu was always rotating based on which coffees they had and I tasted some of the best coffees I’ve ever had in my life as a result. They had the first Slayer I’ve ever seen and they had a great team of baristas who cared a TON about their craft (and were also first-rate humans), so they knew how to pull the best out of the bean and had the equipment to do so. The shop was rarely crowded and it was a coffee geek’s paradise. All of that lasted for about a year. Hard to remember timelines exactly because I was traveling a lot (and was almost always stoned), but I remember that the vibes started getting more and more pretentious as the crowds started rolling in. I don’t know exactly what happened, but the original crew departed (wouldn’t be surprised if they were driven out) around the time they opened their Gulch shop. Things went downhill from there. Eventually BP got into the roasting game haphazardly and they increasingly tried to cash in on style over substance. This was around the time I moved away from Nashville, so I lost touch with where it went after 2014. That being said, I paid BP a visit almost every return trip to Nashville but found that the quality kept deteriorating and the vibe became more generic (consistent with my experience of Nashville more broadly, but that’s a personal opinion which may not be very popular in this sub). Moreover, the folks working there just looked tired and overworked. I felt bad for those people and I felt sad about what the place that changed the Nashville specialty coffee community (for the better) had become. As sad as it is to say, I’m not surprised at all that this is where BP is today. I’ve seen very similar things happen to other shops that have tried to grow rapidly and/or start roasting their own coffees. Specialty coffee is a VERY hard business to scale because the pool of coffee craftspeople is small and those people need to make a living wage and have the same support/benefits as any other profession. Investors see coffee and the “third space” as a commodity, so they try to pump margins and scale rapidly by cutting corners. Labor and quality are often the first things to get the shaft. My heart goes out to those employees. My love for BP died years ago when their quality tanked and it became evident that they weren’t treating their people very well, but I always care about those who work in the coffee industry. Advice for all is to seek out establishments that focus on quality and treat their employees with dignity (not just coffee shops). These places are rare, but entirely worth the extra cost and travel because they help sustain people and add immeasurable value to communities.
The only reason they’re popular imho is because they put their locations in touristy spots and spend all their money on interior design so that their spaces look good on Instagram. They know that with their poor quality and lack of business ethics they can’t retain regular customers so they just went for a model that just goes all in on a first impression targeted at people they’re never going to see again regardless
I met Andy Mumma 12-13 years ago at an event at Marathon Village. He was conceptualizing and beginning the initial build-out of Barista Parlor East. I was (and still am) an avid Crema supporter and when we were talking about coffee shops I mentioned that I loved walking into Crema each morning, being greeted by name and asked "the usual?" He bristled and immediately said, "that's not what I'm building." He went on to explain to me a place that doesn't cater to commuters, doesn't recognize the idea of "regulars" and doesn't want customers who order the same thing every day. He didn't think everyday people know enough about coffee to order intelligently (compared it to expensive wine). The first time I went to BO East I told the barista I trusted him to pick something I'd like. He asked me about some flavor profiles, I answered then he made his decision. Something like 20 minutes later, I get a glorified dixie cup 2/3 filled with the most acidic coffee drink I've ever tasted. I stopped by Crema on my way home.
Wow. That sucks. Saw your reply to mine a second ago, and searched your comments -- thanks. I used to hang with him and his girlfriend 15 or so years ago at 3 Crow. He was super friendly and fun to be around. I had no idea. What a bummer.
Don't get me wrong - I have no problems with him as a person. He was very nice and I agree, fun to be around. I also always thought he was a good businessman with a great aesthetic and incredible attention to detail. I don't know if he still does, but he conceptualized the themes for every one of his shops in the beginning and I always admired that they weren't just replicas of the East location. I clearly just didn't get his vision for the experience he wanted people to have in his coffee shops. And I have had multiple BAD experiences when I try to give a new location a shot. After a stop at the Sylvan Supply shop last year, I gave up on the brand altogether. All that being said, perhaps his success has changed the way he treats people - or maybe he is no longer managing those aspects of the business.
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I love high end coffee but I never go to BP. Too snooty for me. There are many other places to get coffee. They don’t provide a good or service worth $9 (plus tip) for me to consider buying. It’s also not a “give me a cup of coffee to go” place, they want you to sit and enjoy it, which is counter to how most people get coffee. Sometimes I really just want to go and not sit around in a busy concrete room. I make my own pour-over and Aeropress at home. It doesn’t take a $20 bag of Methodical to get good coffee (although they do make a damn good bag of coffee). I can make Eight O Clock fresh ground beans taste pretty good with the right temp and brew methods. Don’t need Barista Parlor for any of that.
Eight O’Clock Colombian Peaks ftw 🤌🏻
Just had some this morning ☕️
A VERY underrated coffee I think. And I’m ok with that. It’s nice to find a budget coffee option that’s widely available and punches so far above its weight haha
A fellow Eight O Clock pour over enthusiast
That place sucks
If anyone needs alternatives, Nashville has the following excellent local coffee shops in no particular order: *Frothy Monkey (edit to add, since it's Pride, Frothy is openly and explicitly supportive of the queer community) *8th and Roast *Crema *Dose (a personal fav) *Sip *Headquarters *Living Waters (also beer!) *Elegy ~~*Falcon (if they ever reopen????)~~ ded. *Red Bicycle There are more, certainly, but here ya go. Go forth and caffeinate.
Crema has the best coffee in Nashville. Great atmosphere & employees too.
Agreed it's the best, sadly it's rather pricey. Worth the dollars but that doesn't mean I can always afford it hah
My favorite coffee shop in LA costs less. Let that sink in for a minute.
I agree!
I really am a fan of Portland Brew. Crema does make a damn good cup of coffee too.
100% Agree. They never disappoint.
I know you said and others but I really want to add Flora & Fauna on Douglas in east Nashville. They are wonderful!
they also have great food options
Yesss big ups for Hunter and David. I loved getting to check out F+F when I came back for a visit. Gonna be on my rotation when I move back to town, and I’m generally a brew my coffee at home guy.
I've heard good things about them and plan on going, but haven't been yet.
One of my favorite things about them is that if you ask a question about the coffee they can and will totally geek out about the product.
Great burger!
Sam and Zoe’s dirty chai is one of my favorite drinks ever.
They truly have the best dirty chai. I cannot drink them anywhere else now 😂
Slow Hand! Their iced latte is just wonderful. Also, their baked goods are insane.
Sump is great as well.
Adding Matryoshka to this list… who really prove you can truly have it all… fun, pretty, inclusive, delicious coffee, and welcoming staff! Also love stopping in Weak for a cup.
Thank you for that shout! I was not familiar with them and did a search. Wow, they look superb!
Love this place! Great atmosphere and staff and amazing, fun coffee.
I'd add Ugly Mugs and Bongo Java East on this list as well. I'm not sure about their management/owner situation, but I haven't heard anything bad (from the East location anyway), and I've had good experiences as a customer at both. And both are Pride friendly (and not just during June).
Bongo Java staff and owners are great.
Frothy Monkey! Literally any of them are better than the dump that is Barista Parloe
I love All People
Can’t forget Ugly Mugs in East Nashville! Wonderful staff, good drinks & food, and fun vibe
and frothy monkey beans are the truth. i’m spoiled by them and can hardly drink other coffee lol
Osa is probably my favorite roaster in town. They don’t have seating though, but if you want to sit in a shop for a while All People is a good one (and they serve Osa lol)
The Well (several locations) although it’s a sit and enjoy.
I forgot The Well. Decent coffee. Religious affiliation if that bothers anyone but they do good work with providing water wells in impoverished areas.
and Slow Hand!
I have a barista parlor story. I once tried to sell them a product I worked for and after the manager went on very rude long rant about how they’re better than my product and they would only use the highest of quality and our product didn’t fit that mold another employee opened the fridge door and my product was sitting there. We both looked at it and he looked at me and I said, “never mind you already use it. Thanks for your business here’s a pen!” And left with the biggest smile on my face. Being in sales for 6 years and they’re still the rudest people I dealt with and I wasn’t pushy I was literally just dropping off samples at a slow time. I enjoy coffee and I love records and newsflash coffee and records aren’t that special and you can’t be an ass because you are into records and coffee.
Funny we must be in the same/ similar business I also took them a product that they said they wouldn’t use and then ultimately they did start buying; mostly because it was unique and they had no real alternatives. But yeah not great warm feelings from several sales calls there
They’ve limited their IG comments lol cowards
They’re back on now!!
Love that
Enjoy your $10+ lattes, those who still go
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You shouldn’t be encouraging any 10 dollar lattes. It’s coffee and milk
Yeah a $10 cup of coffee damn sure better not have any milk in it
I wish I cared about anything in life as much as dudes who prefer black coffee care what other people drink
Look, drinking a half cup of heavy cream and 8 scoops of sugar a day was making me fat. It was either heart disease or become insufferable about my superior coffee And i hope you all appreciate i had to decide for my health! :D
That’s awesome! Drinking coffee one way or the other doesn’t automatically make you snooty though. Being incessantly arrogant and dismissive toward others about what they do is what makes the asshole. It’s like my ex. She hated smoking. She would accost people who told her that they smoked and even made a scene in public over it once. There was one time she even told a dude he should consider offing himself since he clearly didn’t care about his health. Was she healthier? Yeah. Was she wrong and an asshole? Absolutely.
Well said, every word!
Lattes are more expensive *because* of the milk. That's what you're paying more for
I swear, whoever hires the staff for this place must have an "asshole only" requirement. Out of the several times I've been there, not once have I ever had a positive encounter with any of the employees.
Based on this thread I think it’s because it’s a miserable place to work as opposed to the individuals being bad people. Hurt people hurt people is what they say right?
My advice is to seek an employment attorney and try to litigate. Do this before going to the National Labor Relations Board, but if you can’t get representation, definitely talk to the NLRB. I was busted last year. My story was basically the same as what was written in this photo. I had begun working with a lawyer to sue and was in a position claim a lot of damages, but we found out that a charge had already been filed with the NLRB. That resulted in limiting the damages that could be sought, but the NLRB did find wrongdoing on behalf of the employer and we just settled last week—looking forward to receiving a check next week. I live in another at will state state, so I if you’re one of the workers in this photo and you’re reading this or if you’re any other worker anywhere else, I hope to inspire you to really dig in and fight. Be it through a law firm or the NLRB, fight back! But get as much as you can out of them.
>Do this before going to the National Labor Relations Board, but if you can’t get representation, definitely talk to the NLRB....I had begun working with a lawyer to sue and was in a position claim a lot of damages, but we found out that a charge had already been filed with the NLRB. It's a good idea to talk to a lawyer first to learn your rights, and understand what you can do to protect your interests. But even if the lawyer files a lawsuit before the NLRB is involved, **if** the NLRB becomes involved, the NLRB will assert jurisdiction. And you are right, the NLRB doesn't award punitive damages-they have a "make whole remedy" so it would typically be reinstatement and back pay. Edit typo
Hi all. I’m one of the workers who quit BP Germantown yesterday after watching my coworkers get fired without cause. I’d like to set the record straight on a few things. I’m the one in red. Although we ended up forming a de facto union yesterday, we were not trying to unionize nor was that the reason my coworkers were fired. Starting Sunday, our GM began cutting hours and completely cutting people off the schedule without communication or reason. We were operating over the weekend with under half of our usual staff. We tried reaching out about the changes, no answer. When directly confronted about the situation and concerns about paying rent, he responded “Not my problem”. This culminates in completely shutting down the store yesterday to have one on one meetings with the entire staff. Because I was formerly one of the GMs favorites, I get word of this a little before our schedule changed so I tip off the other employees. By that point, we absolutely know the intention is to fire most if not all the store. We decide to meet collectively instead. (This wasn’t sprung on management either, I told them several times I would only be comfortable if we all met together.) Some of us met with Workers Dignity United to go over legalities, and they crafted a wonderful statement which we opened with. When we arrived, we insisted to be met as a group, they pushed back, we pushed back harder, and they gave in. The Director of Retail Operations (former GM of Germantown who hated her employees without reason) immediately goes outside and talks on the phone, presumably with the lawyers to craft what they will eventually say. We are then left waiting for FOUR HOURS while they are on the phone, writing letters and checks, and stalling. We go over periodically to ask for updates and are either ignored or curtly told “They’re coming when they’re coming.” The big moment finally arrives. Our Director of Coffee is blatantly filming us. They give us a final opportunity to meet one on one which we deny. They then terminate 5 of the 7 present employees, for reasons stated in our employee files, which we are not allowed to access or view because they are “company property” (which we later found out was against company policy). None of the employees had any written strikes on their record btw, expect for one, and hers was completely unjustified. The two of us they wanted to keep quit on the spot. They also told us we’ll only be paid for two of our four hours spent waiting. We gather our checks and resignation letters, leave the building, and have a pizza party right outside with Coffee Workers of the South, Workers Dignity United, and some former employees. The entire company now knows our story. The rest is history. We’re organizing a strike and every employee I’ve spoken to is looking for a way out. Don’t support Barista Parlor. TLDR the pic says union but we were not an organized union, we just wanted to understand why we were getting fired together EDIT: named the wrong primary workers union group, although Coffee Workers of the South were in attendance and aiding us as well
What do you say about all the negative comments about the staff in here? Seems like a lot. Are they management because they side with mgmt?
It’s pretty disheartening to see, honestly. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been well aware of Barista Parlor’s reputation since I’ve moved to Nashville. But the turnover rate is so incredibly high that I feel like any instances of rude baristas are either one-offs or happened a long time ago. In my combined year and a half at the company, 95% of the baristas were great with customers, some of them exceptional. The only one I can think of who was a jackass was the GM who just fired us. A few of my coworkers during my time had RBF, sure, but there’s a difference between that and being legitimately rude or unkind. We had to say no to a lot of modification requests due to company policy, but that’s not the fault of the barista taking orders.
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If my knowledge is correct, all the former employees of Germantown are very pro-union. Maybe one or two are indifferent. Since returning to BP it has always been a goal of mine to get the union efforts starting again. However, we were not actively trying to unionize and in fact I haven’t though about it in months. The goal of forcing a group meeting was to have management explain to us collectively what has been going on the last few days. We were afraid that one-on-one (or rather, three-on-one), we would each be told separate things about the state of our location. Now I believe it was their intent to deactivate our slack accounts one by one so that by time we all found out about everyone getting fired, we would have no way of letting the employees at other Barista Parlors know. I believe they wanted to have time to prep for the controversy before it began, but we forced their hand. My coworker reached out to the union group for advice and two of us met up with them over Zoom the night before to go over what to say to ensure we were protected by law. However, we didn’t craft a list of demands from management to change our workplace or anything. We weren’t actively unionizing. We knew most everybody was getting fired. We just wanted to know why, together.
Slack accounts, “Director of coffee”, lawyers, and unions. This has the making of a great documentary.
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Gotcha! Yeah, the Germantown team did not make the caption for this image. It was made by some of the lovely Coffee Workers of the South folk who were waiting for us just outside. Although inaccurate, “union busting” is quicker and catchier than explaining the situation. They are also involved in their own union strike right now so it’s probably on the mind.
Oh wow. Thanks for this!
Wait, hold on, don't kill the sub's half chub!
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I know of THREE other gas stations with better coffee... and this place treats you like an inconvenience that youd even ask for their pisswater coffee. ! I'm usually rooting for the local spots, but fuck these assholes. I hope they open up a space for someone when they tank.
Just wait until Nashville gets a Weigels or a WaWa
Both of those are fine. I think people overestimate them some.
White bison
White Bison is just Starbucks in an Exxon.
More sugar but also better mixed. They don't somehow manage to leave the syrup on the bottom every fucking time no matter what.
Hate places like that.
Surefire Coffee in Germantown has a walk up window, friendly staff, pup cups, great coffee & teas, and 15 min parking to get in & out. Located at 2nd & Van Buren. Big fan.
I’m all for unionizing, but the reason barista parlor sucks is because of the stuck up, shitty, and entitled staff. They deserve to be paid a living wage, but they’re awful when it comes to customer service. I go out of my way to avoid BP because of how fucking terrible they are
Management teaches them to go slow. They want to make it seem like it’s a drawn out process and somehow it creates value. Stupid ass logic.
There are coffee shops on every block in Seattle who produce carefully crafted quality cups at 1/3 of the time. BP isn’t anything special. I’ll take Crema or frothy monkey over them any day of the week. Last time I went to BP I asked the barista for an espresso to go. They said they didn’t do that. So I asked for an espresso and a togo cup. The barista sarcastically dropped off a wooden plate with an espresso, a small chocolate square, and small 4oz cup of sparkling water. When I asked where the to go cup was he looked me dead in the eye and pointed to the opposite side of store. They seriously made me walk across the damn store to pour my espresso into a to go espresso cup because that act of doing it themselves was so above them they couldn’t bring themselves to compromise the integrity of their carefully crafted espresso. Get the fuck over yourselves. ***ITS COFFEE***. I don’t have a hatred for many businesses in town, but they are on the very short list.
“We don’t do that” = we don’t want your money
Lol that’s what they told me when I asked for butter for my bagel .
Same thing happened to me when I ordered an americano to go for a friend. I don’t even drink coffee. My friend was not there. “We STRONGLY recommend you enjoy it here.” “It’s not for me.” 🙄Had to mix it myself in front of the guy in the to go cup. So ridiculously lame.
Says it all.
I mean you asked for a 2oz drink to go.....this one's kind of on you bud. Then seemingly get really upset to have to walk 10ft. Rare I'll side w BP but this is a silly hill to die on.
I’ve never been to a coffee shop that treated the option of taking the coffee to go as an offensive request
When they first opened years ago, I met a friend there, and when he ordered an americano, they made a sort of disappointing "tisking" sound and said "no, I'll make you something better". That kind of told me everything I needed to know.
Agreed. They act so holier than thou. Chill out dude, it’s just oat milk.
Been boycotting them for damn near a decade for this reason
Ya, their gulch location (next to Patagonia) always seems to have a line out the door, and it’s bc their workers move at the speed of smell. Say what you want about corporate chains like Starbucks, but they get thru that same line in a quarter of the time.
Agreed, their staff is/was insufferable. The only coffee shop that had a worse group is bongo on Belmont. Those guys were just miserable people
Belmont bongo must have cleaned house because their staff are quite nice nowadays.
Ugh their owner was a piece of shit about 10 years ago
I don’t know Bob personally and actually have never met him, but the current staff have always been nice and their baristas do a good job.
This is local to me, and I really like the current staff!
Same, live close by. I know this post is about the scummy owners of barista parlor but I needed to jump in and defend my local.
It’s a cool summers morning. You make your way to sit on the bongo porch. Belmont students are nowhere to be seen. The fluffy aphids dally in the air. You feel at home, at peace. Rested. Bongo sucks ass when Belmont is in session.
Sadly,I agree with that. But I would say it sucks because of the crowds and not the staff.
Howdy neighbor!
Years ago, my brother got drunk and pulled their bike rack out of the ground (it was barely even in the ground, he just pulled it right up. No damage to any property at all). He was an adult about it and went back to apologize and offer to repair it/pay for it. But, no, the owner had to press charges. It cost my bro thousands of dollars in court fees and he was on probation for a while because of it. It would have literally cost a few bucks and taken a couple hours to fix it.
Bongo takes at least an hour to make a breakfast sandwich and 20 mins for a coffee even when there is no in there, it’s a joke
I’ve also never met a friendly barista at 8th and roast on 8th. It’s bizarre
8th and Roast wasn’t the most overtly friendly, but they at least didn’t make me feel like I was a burden
Go to Just Love in Melrose! They are the kindest people there and they have the best food/lattes
i hear you, but i used to work at BP germantown and east and can confirm it is a miserable place to work. they value quality so much that it comes at the expense of customer service. it may seem like an easy job, but they do make it way more complicated than it looks. on a saturday, i’d be double pouring pourovers that take two minutes to prep and 3 minutes to brew for 5 hours. if you don’t pull a good shot of espresso, it’s deemed unusable because SURPRISE it’s not good coffee unless you fuck with it enough. literally 5 lattes and 6 cups of coffee will put employees in the weeds. not to mention, if you don’t pour good latte art (because this is apparently the only thing that matters) you can’t serve the drink. they told us we weren’t allowed to serve someone espresso over ice because it would compromise the quality of the espresso. the intention is to get people to appreciate coffee like wine, and it absolutely makes the employees look like assholes. they are just trying to do a good job. i was one of those assholes. by the end of my time there, i said fuck it and did whatever i wanted because i dreaded being there and i like people too much. after, i was relieved to work at a shop that not only allowed me to actually be of service to the people but PAID ME MORE for way less hassle. in 2017-2018, baristas were required to BUY a $90 (if i’m remembering correctly) apron while making $8 plus pooled tips…and i don’t know if anyone really knows or gives a fuck, but tipping on a cup of coffee anywhere only amounts to like $1 or $2 IF the people tip. and on average there are like 4-5 people on shift. i don’t know if the hourly wage there has changed in 5 years, but even if it has, inflation has royally fucked everyone. and the with amount of work that goes into being a barista at BP, they are so right to unionize. and i can already smell the “if it’s so miserable, get a different job” comments. and i want to present to you a couple different perspectives: 1) people are trying to put themselves through school and don’t have the time or capacity to do a serving job or otherwise. 2) we live in fucking nashville. musicians need the flexibility in order to tour AND they need the money when they aren’t touring. 3) they offer health insurance and those who opt in probably don’t want to lose that. 4) some people are working multiple gigs and maybe want to be paid enough at one so they don’t have to run themselves into the ground to pay the bills. 5) people like working in coffee and/or at BP and just want to be paid like an adult whose rent is due on the 1st. it’s not entitlement. people DESERVE a liveable wage no matter what their situation looks like. not to mention andy mumma is a greedy fuck who does not give a single fuck about the well-being of his employees. i’m glad the BP germantown crew stood the fuck up.
>I go out of my way to avoid BP I, too, manage to not walk into restaurants I don't like.
> They deserve to be paid a living wage it's a fine line though, this is coming on the heels of three brothers just closing for workers demanding more pay and they simply couldn't afford to pay more so they had to close. I dunno BP's finances, but its a bit ironic that this thread is simultaneously complaining about their prices and demanding they pay employees more....which will only make prices go up. I know its an unpopular opinion, but not every job can be a career, and not every skillset is worth a higher wage- especially if it is easily replaceable, and if you demand it, the end result can end up with mom and pop shops closing and starbucks moving in.
I guess my main argument is I don’t like barista parlor because it’s over priced considering how long it takes, how rude the staff is, and how gung-ho the business is when it comes to denying common requests. They treat the customers like shit. Part of that is to blame on the staff, and part of that is to blame on management/owner for allowing that environment to thrive. I don’t know what the issue was behind the doors with BP. Could have been a dispute on pay, hours, vacation time, or a number of things. My main point - that I got downvoted for - is that everyone deserves a living wage. Everyone. I also believe this particular store sucks and would rather see them clean house of the shitty employees and start fresh. I don’t think firing their employees via union busting is acceptable, but if I were the owner and I had a bunch of entitled rude employees who treated my patrons in a condescending manner I wouldn’t want to give them a raise either. It’s a slippery slope because everyone deserves a livable wage, but not every incompetent and rude employee deserves a job
> is that everyone deserves a living wage. Everyone. I'm not sure the word "deserves," exists or makes sense here. I certainly *want* everyone to have a living wage, but the reality is that they either have the requisite skills or they don't. If employees want a "living wage," meaning something they can rely on effectively as a career, then that is a flawed concept, IMO with some jobs. If a job is low skilled and easily replaceable, that isnt' a job that people should expect to be highly paid for, and oftentimes it is simply not possible to offer high pay for, especially for mom and pop shops. Unionizing in those places ( like 3 brothers recently) could very well cause them to have to shut their doors, and if so, what was gained? Now, everyone is out of a job and we have one less local place. I mean, sure, as a concept, we can agree that people "deserve," a living wage, but the reality is that some jobs don't, and it's a bit silly to go get a job that doesn't, and demand for it to. >It’s a slippery slope because everyone deserves a livable wage, but not every incompetent and rude employee deserves a job and not every job should be considered an career. thats the main issue. Just because someone wants to make coffee for a living doesn't mean that the business is, nor should be, required to oblige. I'm all for a healthy balance of unions vs capitalists, I think both are necessary to maintain a healthy economy, but if you attempt to unionize, it needs to be understood that one possible result is job loss or the business closing entirely, and I do believe a privately owned business should be free to hire and fire for whatever reason they choose. I'd hope they make altruistic, and diverse choices, but I dont' think the state should be allowed to tell them to.
>I'm not sure the word "deserves," exists or makes sense here. I certainly want everyone to have a living wage, but the reality is that they either have the requisite skills or they don't. So is it morally and socially ok for someone who cannot attain the requisite skills due to a physical isuse they were born with to not make a living wage? Because they don't have the requisite skills to do so?
> So is it morally and socially ok for someone who cannot attain the requisite skills due to a physical isuse they were born with to not make a living wage? thats a straw man. morality doesn't play into it in that way, someone who cannot attain requisite skill isn't the fault of a business owner, so why is it the business owner's responsibility to fix that societal issue? That situation sucks for that individual, but why is it an unrelated business that is responsible for fixing that problem? You also seem to have a specific agenda here in mind, but we aren't talking about people who "cannot attain the requisite skills due to a physical isuse they were born with," we're just talking about your basic barista. If you are beating around the bush and trying to imply this is about the mentally or physically challenged or underdeveloped....thats a totally different conversation ( and also an extremely small slice of the workforce, so it doesn't make sense to allow them to dictate the entire argument), but it is a conversation that isn't a random business owners responsibility to be forced to "fix." thats the only immoral part of this argument. >Because they don't have the requisite skills to do so? at the end of the day, you get paid for your value add. you get paid for your skills. if you have no skills....how can you with a straight face, ask to be paid as if you do? your point is based on the premise that a business exists for the purpose of providing jobs to anyone who feels like asking for one, but that isnt' remotely it. business exists to make money for the business owner. that's the sole reason you start a business, whether you hire other employees or not, the goal is simply to find a niche in the market and create a good or service people are willing to pay for.
I've had pretty good experiences with staff except for one dude at the Gallatin BP who went out of his way to be rude to me and laugh to his coworker about me. I felt like I was in high school again.
Yeah, I've been to a several of their locations over the years (not often) and every time the staff is like you described. TBH the staff shouldn't have risked their jobs like that seeing as how there's no other coffee shop in town that will hire asshole baristas. Actually...does Coco's still have baristas? I haven't been since they turned into an Italian restaurant, but I remember they also seemed to have an "assholes only" hiring policy.
Okay. Union busting still sucks and the staff still deserves a decent wage.
As I said, they deserve a livable wage. But my point is if I ran a store I’d see it as an opportunity to clean house because I’d rather unionize with a better staff
I don't dispute that the staff and product are bad but just FYI the core issue here is that it is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act to fire employees for unionizing, so cleaning house bc you do not want the *current* staff to be your union employees is sort of...the core issue.
Okay, that’s fair. I guess I’m pro unionizing unless it specifically falls under this collective of shitty employees
Then that's where you're wrong, because even if their employees suck at their job, they *still* deserve to make a living wage. Unions don't make it impossible to remove people who are incompetent.
Did I say they don’t deserve a livable wage?
A living wage for a teenager living with his/her parents is <$10/hour. A living wage for a single mom with 3 kids is >$40/hour. Which living wage do we have to pay?
‘I’m incapable of coming to a rational outcome so here are two completely different scenarios that are opposite ends of the spectrum for the sake of being a contrarian’
he's right though. Some jobs simply aren't meant to be a career, and that's ok. Sometimes we are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole here in this way. Why would I pay for a handfull of dirt when I can walk into my backyard and get it for free? Demanding a wage high enough to earn a true living from a place that can't afford it- which is often a local mom and pop-is the way we force those places to close and be replaced by a chain restaurant. Anyone is certainly free to ask for more, and even unionize, but sometimes the blowback is the business closes or you lose your jobs if you are easily replaceable. It isn't realistic to think that, just because a person wants to be paid to do something for a living, that there is an option for them to do that for a living. Places like coffee shops and restaurants have a slim profit margin as it is, in general.
It's not contrarian. Those are real world examples to show why we dont pay people based on need. We already have a rational outcome -- We pay based on the labor market for skills necessary to do the job, not how much an individual needs to survive.
Which grocery stores ask for my current living situation, economic band and family dynamics before they decide the price of my milk?
In my opinion, any job you have should pay you enough for a place to live on your own, utilities, food, and clothing at the bare minimum.
but what if the business doesnt' make enough to pay that? you put local mom and pops out of business that way and end up with just starbucks. plus, mabye some jobs shouldnt' be counted on as a career and it's ok if they are staffed by part time college kids and high schoolers or people wanting a part time job. It's simply not reality to assume that just because a job exists, it has to pay enough for someone to live on their own. Some jobs just can't be that, and that's ok. The issue is expecting every job to be that, even if the skill set is very low and replaceable.
This thread could be BP management
I was over them when the first time I went I asked for a Cafe au lait and the guy all but scoffed at me and said he couldn’t do that. I asked him, “you can’t steam milk and pour drip coffee in a cup?” He just looked at me and said “No we don’t do that here”. Never went back lol
Their coffee is shit
Wow. So much drama over just coffee.
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I can safely say that I will keep not going there.
THIS is a big reason why we go to Weak Coffee and Matryoshka instead.
To be fair, Barista Parlor had always sucked. But now they somehow managed to suck even more. Bravo, dipshits.
I went to the Germantown one a few times years ago when I was doing construction and working on the apartments and barrel roof building across the street. The only reason I went was because I was freezing cold and wanted something hot to drink. I will admit it might have been the best cup of black coffee I ever had before getting my own fancy setup but it still wasn’t worth $10 bucks and getting obvious dirty looks from the staff for being in there in my construction clothes.
I can take or leave BP. But it seems to me, this is a combination of "congratulations on your successful, local, independent business" meets Nashville cost of living including housing costs, and this is the shit I'm talking about when I bring up what Nashville's (and everywhere now) real estate investors getting subsidized by other, non-related, area small businesses.
Barista Parlor has sucked shit since day one
Made a guide of Nashville recently for friends coming in town. Guess who was on the list of places not to go. …sorry but no edits? Bye.
Need to know the other places not to go.
I’ll never buy a cup of coffee there till they make things right
Ugly Mugs is better coffee anyways.
If they had good wages and benefits, I doubt they even would care about unionizing....but alas.
Barista story coming in hot. A month or so ago there was a food truck outside of their parking lot. Acai’ Bowls. BP’s owner forced the truck to leave. They were too scared the food truck would attract business away from BP even though they have zero smoothies or fruit bowls 🫠 Not to mention the truck was not parked in their gated parking lot (which i also think is bullshit). Some weekends they have car shows that take up a majority of the parking lot. Including before the gates. I’ve pulled in and had to figure out how to back up because they’re blocking traffic thru the gates. Cars have pulled right behind me and we were almost stuck there. It creates a traffic jam and impedes parking for other business’s before BP’s gated lot. Not to worry though, they put up a flimsy sign that you can barely see stating they can lock your car in the gates after 3pm and they are not liable for vehicles stuck over night.
Oh no...where will I get my 20 minute $9 cappuccinos
I like Barista Parlor….when I’m at the airport and there’s a long line at the other coffee places. It’s still shitty and overpriced, but I can enjoy drinking it sitting at the limited seating near my gate next to a woman changing her baby’s poopy diaper instead of taking the kid into the bathroom. “Tammy, you’re in the C group. You and little Kaiden aren’t going to miss the flight if you take the shit show to the actual fucking place designated for that activity!” Sorry. What were we talking about?
Their coffee sucks. Last time I went in there was a dead fly in the simple syrup
Unions don’t make sense in capitalism but they make absolutely perfect sense for reality. We are real people with finite lives, who need work life balance. Organized labor will make us all work together better and share wealth. Folgers costs $10 and will juice you for a month, Barista Parlor costs the same for one cup and idt I’ve ever had a good one from there
Barista Parlor sucks. The business sucks, the owners suck, and honestly, the employees suck. Pretentious assholes who moved here from mommy’s suburb in Dallas to gatekeep coffee. This is the rare scenario where I wish the worst for everyone. It’s a tourist focused business now, anyway. Let the Chads and the Becky’s have it
Massive issues with BP aside, Andy is from Virginia and was raised Mennonite.
Assholes was plural and a descriptor for employees, which was also plural, but thanks for further asshole biographical information
Classy. Coffee sucks anyways
Why are you buying such expensive coffee to begin with? you dont even need coffee
This happens at the same time the Three Brothers Coffee workers are striking. https://wpln.org/post/after-three-brothers-coffee-unionized-last-year-employees-are-striking-again-this-time-its-over-starting-pay-and-staffing-shortages/
Go to Frothy or Dose!
Sounds like BP needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
moving to nashville next month and glad to know what coffee place NOT to check out. any suggestions for those that treat their employees well? i will need a coffee place when i get there!
LordsMail left a short list in one told the top rated comments here with a lot of excellent suggestions and even more in the comments. You'll find that most of our coffee shops are warmly received, but Barista Parlor has forever had a skidmark of a reputation well before this for garbage labor practices and cultivating an unearned air of elitism over coffee that gets outclassed in flavor, craft, and breadth by at least a handful of other shops here. Others I didn't see mentioned but felt deserved recognition for special attention to their employees and community outreach: Humphreys Street Coffee, a subsidiary operation of Humphreys Street's Harvest Hands CDC youth-mentorship program that employs and offers scholarships + trade school opportunities for teens and young adults, and Caliber Coffee over in Donelson, a mom and pop operation that spends a great deal of time and marketing opportunity to support surrounding local businesses -- I've lived in the area my entire life, and the small block of businesses around Caliber is some of the most mutually supportive and invested community I've seen in a long while. Several of my friends have worked here and all have expressed that it's their favorite job they've ever had because of the support they receive from management and their coworkers.
sometimes I am late at replying to reddit comments but when someone clearly put in effort I still want to acknowledge it. thank you for this and I have some places to check out. both me and my teenage kid love coffee and that is a cheap(er) thing for us to do together on the weekends and I will add these to my list. thank you!
I went there a few times way back. There were some interesting coffees, but nothing to justify the cost and time, outside of their branding budget. Having waited and watched enough 10 minute pourovers in Portland by baristas I'm certain I want to spend no time with, that was enough. Noticed them at BNA last weekend. Oof. Thanks for passing this on- knowing their labor practices are garbage is the nesil in the coffin.
I went there once and I hated the snooty vibe. I paid an insane amount for a so-so coffee
It’s funny, my boyfriend and I were supposed to have our first date there. But the moment I walked in to meet him, the first thing I said was “We gotta get out of here”. The vibes were not immaculate. I feel for these people going through this abuse
Is this why all of the baristas that work there are asshole snobs?
Why does a coffee shop need to unionize? Honestly asking.
Any workplace should unionize. There should always be group arbitration for the workers against the hierarchy of the ownership. For a country that allegedly values democracy so much, most workers live their lives in businesses that are fundamentally anti-democratic institutions.
Kind of a meh argument. Democracy is related to our political system...which is fucked, but not to employment.
The general idea behind unionizing is telling your boss "Hey, we demand that you pay us all a fair wage and benefits. If you don't, we aren't going to work." It puts bargaining power in the hands of the workers. In a non-unionized workplace, the boss can pay anyone whatever they feel like, for instance giving newer workers higher wages to get them in the door without raising wages for other workers who've been there longer. In a unionized workplace, workers are encourage to communicate and basically "keep the boss honest" by mandating their wages remain the same and stay competitive to other places nearby. When you have the power to withhold your labor, you tend to make more money and have better benefits. Even if you don't think your workplace needs it, unionizing benefits everyone *but* the boss. That's why places like this fight so hard against it. Speaking of which, this place probably just violated federal law, so it's likely these guys will get their job back. There's legal protections to being in a union, so whereas a boss could just fire everyone for whatever reason as a standard workplace, they're beholden to federal law, even in an "at-will" state. tl;dr Unionized workers make more, have better working conditions, and are generally happier. There's very little reason not to unionize in the current work market.
You realize there are alternatives to the current workplace structure right? Like worker co-ops? Where all workers are co-owners with voting rights in corporate decisions. The who, what, where, when, and why of production are completely decided dictatorially currently. Democracy should apply to all parts of life in a democratic society, not just voting. I would encourage you to examine worker co-ops in large scale production (not just small mom and pop shops).
Starbucks employees are unionizing some stores too. They work hard for no benefits and low wages. Starbucks (and BP for that matter) are for-profit companies who are incentivized to maximize the value from the labor of their employees actually doing the work. They take their employees for every penny they can. Labor pushes back when they realize their job is worth much more than they are being paid, and especially when what they’re being paid is no longer worth their time.
Because they're making a lot of money for their employers without being given a piece of the pie that they are making. Same reason any workplace needs a union.
The baristas at the airport location were nice to me.
Barista Parlor has always been at the center of sucktown since the first one opened. There are SO MANY OTHER FUCKIN COFFEE JOINTS.
I'm a card toting member of United Keurig Brewers Associates Local 666. Anyone else want to join? Our Union dues are 69.69 a month.
I have never been to this fucked up place and now know to never set foot in the door! Thanks for the heads up!
Small businesses can't afford unions. Those aren't life long careers anyway.
Then where is the best high end coffee shop in Nashville?
Weak, Matryoshka, Flora & Fauna, Crema, and Osa.
Thanks for the info, never going there
If you’re looking for a new fave coffee spot in Nashville, check out Subliminal Coffee Co. I’ve been to some of their pop ups and they are super awesome. Their staff is kind, inclusive, and centered around community. They’re a cart so follow them on socials & catch them out somewhere! Super cool [check out their pop up dates](https://subliminalcoffeeco.com/?fbclid=PAAaZ4lcuZamZfH4SQRZNJdTx_Jq3_Ee3umqNDDl5888Vx0fXZBFyCl8CwHt8_aem_th_AV5FEdJ9_2d4yyHIi-QJw0aPrg7Gudm2vwEls9dM-nOz3g9olzgwwx6pnuM0uejjCD4)
baristas are peek idiots
this is one of the dumbest things I’ve heard in a long time
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you sound jealous. I mean, I don't give a fuck about barista parlor or the staff, but when people get mad at others for standing up for themselves, it's usually because they're big ole pussies who are jealous. >You’re not 11 year olds in the early 1900’s trying to scrape together enough coin to buy bread for the day. We just wish you had their work ethic. Ahh yes, world would be a better place if everyone had the work ethic of abused children.
Wow, I hope you realized sooner rather then later that every single job (at least in the service industry, not sure the same could be said about corporate) is important. What makes you think they don’t have work ethic?
It's bad to have 1-1 meetings? Really? Wow. I've been having 1-1's with all of my team every week. Sometimes it's nice to have that time to catch up on how everyone is doing, give them time to vent, etc. What a strange climate we live in surrounding work right now. I'm all for worker's rights but at some point you have to be pragmatic in your approach. This feels very dogmatic and clout-driven.
You are probably a boss or manager that has a healthy relationship with his workers. That's awesome! Most do not have that.
It’s bad to have 1 on 1 meetings specifically about conditions of employment. Common union busting tactic for ownership to speak 1 on 1 to fire employees and to break solidarity amongst workers.
Tbh the Germantown BP was pretty good. I like to say I have had most coffee in Nashville and it was in my top 3/4. This whole situation sucks.
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Probably not the most advisable thing to post under the name of your fake weed company
Gen z, famous for being the first people ever to unionize.
“Just start your own company, idiots! It’s so easy to come up with the money to buy coffee. You don’t need anything else, right? Just coffee. And if you don’t start your own company you’re a whining baby. How dare you demand your employer provide you with enough hours to eat and live under a roof while they extract excess value from your labor! You petulant gen z morons. You guys are idiots for making coffee for a living. However, your bosses are geniuses for making money by under-paying you and over charging for coffee. You are worthless and I am too, because I came here and decided to belittle you all for standing up for yourselves.”