Good Earth Coffeehouse - Village Walk in Victoria

Delicious coffee and a nice place

I ordered a latte and could not drink it for the better part of an hour until I returned to add some cold milk because it was scalding hot.

I am hooked on their Breakfast Power Bowl

Coffee is so good!

Stupidly delicious coffee. Parking: Street parking only. Food : 4/5 |

Good coffee. Nice vibe.

Tasty, reasonable prices, overall cozy and clean place

Locally owned coffee shop. Varied selection of food though didnt have any being January and all. decent coffee. Quieter than others so good for conversation.

friendly and professional staff! everything was awesome!

Ive been to several Good Earth locations and this is the one I like the least. They havent been open long so Ill try again. Parking: Street parking only at a busy intersection.

We loved Good Earth Coffeehouse at Oak Bay. They have good breakfast items, pastries and coffee. Fantastic staff and friendly atmosphere.

The people working there are so friendly and kind, I enjoy talking with them every time

I always find the owners to be very friendly and welcoming. The coffee is good, and they do all their own baking. Its a great neighborhood place, for reading, eating and more.

Comfortable,relaxed,good selection of food,excellent coffee.

Everything about this place is wonderful... Food is tasty Service is great Seats are very cozy Food : 5/5 |

Fantastic staff, excellent atmosphere!

Great cafe experience, would recommend! Tasty steak panini and peaceful study environment.

It is a OK place but needs some energy pick up.

Great coffee, pastries and sandwiches. Friendly staff. My favourite place to study.

Really do love the coffee but unfortunately the stuff is never that friendly. Its like theyre faking it if they crack a smile

Dirty washrooms

Friendly staff but not a great menu

Worst service ever . Tried third time in hope they improve their service but no got a smoothie in large size . Nd ask for less ice and they they literally give me just half glass of smoothie. While asking about they said because u said less ice . If add more ice it it then it gonna be a full glass of smoothie .. so yeah i pay more than $7 for half glass. And it tastes like drinking sugar. i hope i can give them -1 star. I think he was the manager in black shirt. Worst service ever.

Great local coffee shop rejuvenated!

Coffee was great, and employees were super nice.

Very good Price-Performance ratio. Good Coffee and Nice Service.

Always busy because the food is good and the coffee better. Pleasant owners are always in the shop. Usually lots of couples and families, but also the laptop workers. Unlike most coffee shops, they also have ice cream in the summer and serve beer and wine. Sandwiches are freshly made. Good soups. The Good Earth is a chain, but each franchisee makes the shop special. This is one of my favourites.

- I asked if the regular coffee was freshly brewed as it was a slow afternoon with only a few people present. The server looked at me as if I had just arrived from Mars. When I poured cream into my coffee, it curdled. I returned it to the server who said, with disdain, that it was impossible for it to curdle. He reluctantly gave me another coffee. - With the plethora of coffee shops in Oak Bay, service and ambience make a difference. With its torn seats and less than enthusiastic service, I will not be returning to GEC anytime soon. My money will go elsewhere.

Bland food. The franchise needs to get creative.

Friendly courteous and good coffee

GreT

Coffee brew and more!

Make a great cafe creme, with some fun soups and sandwiches.

This is a great little coffee shop, that also serves light snacks (soups and sammies), along with beer, wine, and other beverages. The decor is tasteful, live music on Wednesdays, and helpful staff. Dont be put off by the negative reviews you may see here from selfish students. When we went tonight, several students were sitting alone at tables for 4 or 6, nicely spread out with all their books and laptops, where they sat for 3+ hours, ordering one coffee... They could easily have at a smaller table, to show consideration for others. I can hardly blame the owner for asking people to move, so paying customers can enjoy sitting together for a nice coffee. I too would be frustrated if students occupied 70% of my sitting area, using my cafe as their personal office/bedroom for hours at a time. In fact, many cafes have started laptop-free zones or times to help make cafes enjoyable for everyone, not just students. Dont blame the hard working owner for trying to make his business available and inviting to a wider range of customers.

I have never wrote a review before but my experience at this cafe was AWFUL! The manger was extremely rude! I walked in and didnt even have time to take my jacket off before the manager talked to the man I was with and said she needs to buy something and she cant eat her own food here. I was going to buy something first of all and second, talk to me if there is an issue not the man Im with.. I live very close to this cafe and I could be a regular customer but now I will NEVER go here again. This is not how you run a business. You are losing a lot of customers because of your disrespectful treatment. I hope no one supports this business..

Good coffee.

Theres a red head bubble brain at the Jubilee location who gives me dirty looks every time a shop there. And todays the last time Ill be buying anything. And Ill be SPREADING MY DISGIST.

It is a nice space, and the coffee and food are fine, but not my first choice in the neighbourhood due to their policy of putting coffee in disposable cups unless you ask for a mug. Also not the friendliest people behind the counter. I prefer Discovery Coffee across the street for quality of coffee, sustainability (default is to offer a mug), and friendliness. I only come here when Discovery is full and/or I want some more wholesome food than the small selection of baked goods on offer at Discovery.

How to waste $5 in 10 minutes: One of the employees forgot my order today and was passive aggressive towards the mistake he made. As I had only come to the cafe to have a cold drink, I was aware of what I had ordered. I would never in my life lie about something as small as a coffee order and if he had handled it in a professional matter I wouldnt be wasting my time writing a review. As a mature adult, I am aware of the importance of admitting when one makes a mistake and while it is possible that not everyone else has reached this point, then those individual should not be working in the service industry. After 10 minutes of sitting down, I was asked to move tables as there was a bigger group coming, which I was expecting. Unfortunately, the way that I was asked was rather rude. The group who were sitting down at our table had 10 times the manners that the employee had. I wish they were the ones serving me today instead of the staff member. I was disappointed by how uncomfortable I felt at this location. I have liked all of the other staff members but they do not make up for my experience. By reading the other comments, I know the owner (possibly the boy who served me today) will defensively reply to this review using excuses, instead of changing the reasons why this store has gotten so many bad reviews.

High prices for the quality of the drinks. Paper straws? No thanks.

I never go out of my way to leave a bad review, however this was the worst customer service I have ever seen. We came here, 3 uni students, to study during an already stressful exam season. So that we could talk freely about our papers and homework, I pushed a table together with my friends. The manager came over and told me to push it back. I asked him why and he said it doesn t matter just do it . When I repeatedly asked him why (I was a paying customer, I personally work as a barista at other coffee stores I understand how the business works), he said it doesn t look good . There were 3 other occupied tables in the store, it was the LAST place we came to study after all other coffee stores were full with students. After this interaction, my friend (who is deathly allergic to peanuts) asked if their banana bread contained nuts. He said I don t know you look and threw their binder of food information at her to go through. How does a manager not know their own product?? Never have I ever encountered such a hostile, unfriendly coffee shop manager. If I could contact his higher ups I would have done, he spent the rest of the time there speaking with a group (maybe his family), sitting at their table. I recommended more students go here to force them to be more understanding lol. If we are paying, we deserve to be treated as such.

Very good coffee, good selection of food including soups, salads and cooked entrees, all run by a lovely family.

Rude staff

Love the coffee and the baked goods.

the owner definitely needs a course in politeness

Very comfortable. Good coffee.

This is the first BAD experience iv e had at a coffee shop in Victoria. Very rude, unprofessional staff and the drinks tasted very watered down compared to the other Good Earth locations I regularly visit.

Amazing coffee I tried almost all their coffee and its always excellent

Nice owners.. Great coffee..

Fantastic coffee and treats. Very polite staff.

Tasty baked goods and decent coffee, staff are not always on their best behavior it seems. But its very central and a great view of the village.

I enjoy this atmosphere. There is a good selection of snack and lunch items and the requisite excellent choice of beverages.

My mother and father were out for a walk today and my dad had a very upset stomach. He asked to use the washroom and the owner said yes. Went outside to my mom who was sitting outside on a PUBLIC bench with a Tim Hortons tea and said if I knew you were going to buy coffee from somewhere else I would never have let him Use the washroon my mom said pardon and he just walked away. My dad ended up purchasing food in good faith before he knew that the onwer was extremely disrespectful to my mom. This is ridiculous and unacceptable. Where has humanity gone? A little bit of kindess goes a long way. It doesnt take much sir. I hope you reconsider next time you think about treating anyone that way.

Nice place to meet up for coffee with friends. Very clean!

Friendly, tasty food made in house (so Ive heard). Great spot for a casual cup and a bite. Also, books available for reading.

Great food and great coffee. Id highly recommend it for that alone but as always, service plays a big part in my reviews. The service is cool and calm and not overly friendly. Id say it lacks the charm of a place that calls itself a locally owned coffee shop. To me, local means friendly and the service here is distant and minimal. But the lattes are great. :)

Owner has no idea what customer service is

Nice table layouts and big windows. Good coffees and food made on site.

Decent

Good people, good product. Menu is excellent though somewhat limited but it is after all a coffee house.

I wish I could give no stars. I would never recommend this place to anyone. I have personally been rudely confronted by the owner for having a laptop in the establishment (even though I was eating meals here) and I have watched him do the same to other patrons, making them feel uncomfortable and unwanted.. I do not like giving such negative reviews- especially since this is a beautiful location. I have no toleration for bullying however and will go out of my way to avoid this establishment.

Open on Xmas!! Thanks guys!!!

Nice atmosphere, good looking food, but I was disappointed with the buttered rum latte I ordered- little to no flavor.

Great coffee, pleasant and welcoming staff, relaxed, casual and comfortable seating with lots of daylight coming in through the large windows. The food on the varied menu looked very appetizing.

I had better coffee.

The older gentleman working here is very unpleasant to speak with. Interactions feel tense and awkward. This is my second time coming here and each time Im here, I regret giving my service. What a shame. I suggest going elsewhere if you are aware of bad energy of bad vibes. Hopefully the owner learns to relax and be open to abundance.

Good

Cute and cozy but food is so expensive !

Not friendly. Crumbs and staff wandering not attending to them.

Great little coffee shop with a good selection of food and a clean modern design

The manager is always very cold and rude when I visit this cafe. Last time I went with 3 friends and one of them did not purchase anything. The manager said that they like it when all customers support. I told him 3 of us bought drinks and he said well there are four of you. Well, now hes lost 4 customers. I am never going back to this cafe. They clearly dont know what good service looks like.

The manager took a coffee of mine that a bought somewhere else I guess while it was on a table near my bags while I was in the washroom he took it and through it out and said to me How was I supposed to know while cleaning up the little table next to my stuff . Clearly my coffee was next to my bags . He just decided to throw it out even thPugh it did have coffee in it. I was not empresses at all. He gave me a free coffee in the end still not happy what he did. The principle of his actions mad me mad!

Nice location. Parking around the back of the building.

Great coffee and food.

Best coffee in victoria

This place is a haven. The people are friendly and always cheerful. The coffee is good. We always like going there.

Before my bike home, I stopped in for the first time because Ive been seeing this franchise over town and wanted to know what they were all about --the idea of local organic coffee attracts my attention. I left my wallet with my friend while I went inside to use the washroom before buying a drink, and to ask about their coffee. Im interested in where people source their products and what sort of relationship they have with the communities they import ~ asking questions, there was a man working there who seemed like he had some stature in the place but was super off put and bothered by my questions unless I was buying something from him...he didnt look very busy - there was no other customers in line so I wasnt sure why he was so dismissive. This told me a lot about what kind of values and integrity this place holds in their performance of customer service. Seems like its always about the money these days -- not based on authentic reciprocity or true value of what customer service entails, which is unfortunate. I left with drinking my espresso which tasted fine, but am deciding not to stop in again because the experience was overall low quality. I would rather keep to my other coffee stops because the service is much more satisfying and shows more influential acclaim.

Their white chocolate scones are super yum! Good ambiance there too.

TERRIBLE! I had a really bad experience with this cafe. I was waiting to be picked up and decided to have a sit in this cafe, and wait for my ride. The manager was very rude, pressuring me to buy something in order to stay. This type of behaviour towards the costumers, shows that the manager only cares about money and nothing else. I was very disappointed, as this was the first time I was treated in such a rude way by any manager or cafe employee. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAFE TO ANYONE!!!

Breakfast paninis and coffee are both really good. Atmosphere is nice too.

Great place and friendly staff

I absolutely would not recommend this coffee shop to anyone. I visited this good earth location a couple times and every time the owner or manager is extremely rude and unwelcoming. There are so many friendly coffee shops in Victoria, do not waste your time and money here.

Weird service and very bad lattes.

Super service and quality

I usually don t write reviews but this time I feel like I had too!! I was there with my friend to study. We decided to order after few minutes as our study was gonna take long. But after sitting for 5 to 7 minutes, the manager (it seems like he is the owner) personally came and asked if we wanted to order anything or not. And when we said that we will in few minutes, he just walked away and made us embarrassed. It seems that he was trying to tell us that either buy something or just walk away. Definetly do not recommend this place for casual hangouts.

Funny enough, with its 8pm close time on certain days, this is the late night hangout in Oak Bay.... so its got that going for it. Also nice seating for reading, studying, and long-term lounging. The coffee is fine, the food is OK, location is fine. No disappointment to be found here. No awestruck moments either, mind you.

Just nope. Owner/manager is awful.

Staff were nice, but the latte I had was disgusting. I am not going back.

The clerk is unfriendly

Service is great food is great coffee is great its a lovely spot to chill and have a coffee

I don t normally give bad reviews about any place, but my experiences here have been so terrible I felt that I had to write this review. Today was the third time I visited, and like the previous times the manager (maybe owner) was very rude and unwelcoming. This time, I had gone in to do some work with a friend and after settling down he comes to tell us to join another table to make room for other customers. The coffee shop was not busy enough for us to move to a table with complete strangers. The whole experience was uncomfortable. I left within an hour because I felt like an unwanted customer. The drink was ok but VERY overpriced. Especially considering the terrible customer service. I will not be going again and I don t recommend this place to anyone.

The coffee is mediocre and the owner is very rude and inhospitable. Avoid if you want good coffee and pleasant service.

great coffee, lovely staff, and a pretty location!

Kicked out hungry, angry university students for wanting to drink coffee and study. Very disrespectful staff. I had come in with three other friends to study and we sat down at one of the large tables. There are two in the coffee shop, and a couple other people were studying at the other table. When my friend went to buy a drink immediately after we sat down, the manager told us we could not study at that table because the table next to us had students studying there. He said he didnt want it to look like a library, while a lot of coffee shops are filled with students studying, especially during exam times. As we were about to leave, he told us we could sit at the smaller tables, which meant we would not be all together and it was much smaller and inconvenient. We sat down and when the other students left, he then told us we could sit there, as another girl was already studying there. We didnt want to make it awkward, so we moved to sit with the other student. However, this is not something we should have gone through from the start and I did not enjoy my experience here. Despite supporting their business and buying their coffee, they were willing to kick me out. I also would expect a good earth coffee branch to have a recycling and they did not.

Do not recommend and I will no longer be patronizing this store. Staff are rude to the point of aggression. Effectively banning students is not something we need to see in our community.

If I could give 0 stars I would. Very very horrible experience. The owner is extremely discriminatory and disrespectful to customers, which is such a shame in this day and age, especially in our community. Reports are being made to the city about his behaviour. The cafe serves very poor quality food and coffee. There are so many great places in Victoria to purchase good products, where the owners and staff treat people fairly. Please do not support this owners behaviour.

Got yelled at for making a mistake

I see some negative reviews about the managers, I go to this location quite a bit and have never had a bad experience. Coffee is great, along with the food.

Great coffee & gelato! Relaxed atmosphere! Modern feel & friendly staff! I ve come here multiple times & worked on my laptop at various hours! This place is open early & open late, which is very convenient for me! No negative experiences! Would recommend! 5 stars!

The more comfortable of the coffee shops Some good foods.

Great food, prices, and atmosphere.

Great cosy place for coffee or snacks.

Best Good Earth Coffee house in Victoria. Great service, friendly owners and stuff. Open late and the coffee tastes authentic

Great selection of baked goods and their coffee was well-made.

Had a great cup of coffee and a so called hazelnut crunch, delicious. Nice spot, bright and comfy seating ...

Good food but expensive for sure.

Great host, clean and comfortable, and a great experience.

The main guy is super rude. I stopped going to the coffee shop when he put up a sign almost 2 years ago banning students from working in the coffee shop. Also, I witnessed him being incredibly aggressive with two teenagers in the store who wanted to get a napkin for a drink they spilled outside. I live right beside the coffee shop and I will walk 20 metres down the street to Discovery Coffee. Which offers better quality coffee and service, especially the service.

Good italian sodas.

Great coffee, friendly knowledgeable service.

Great coffee. Nice ambiance.

Very rude staff. Bad customer service. There are so many other good coffee places with friendly staff, I do not recommend anyone else to go there.

Worst coffee shop experience, one of the staff was extremely rude. I often go there and grab a coffee but after today Its safe to say that Im never going to be a good earth customer again. If you dont like someone to be rude to you then please avoid them.

Great espresso, sure, but it was the relaxed friendly vibe that would make me go back again and again. Awesome place to spend your spare time with your loved ones.

Nice atmosphere, cozy little spot with large bright windows. Unfortunately, the service was pretty slow and they kept getting the order wrong

Terrible experience. They forgot my order completley. No apologies.

Good coffee and food. Bright and open venue. Friendly owners!

Great quite little place with good coffee and things to eat!

Great place to go for a nice coffee and place to hang out with friends

Friendly staff and amazing chicken noodle soup!!!

Fast, friendly service and great taste too.

Enjoyed the coffee, the food and the chatting with other patrons. Cant wait to go back

I am writing this from the Starbucks down the street because I just got rudely kicked out of Good Earth for only buying one coffee in an hour. I have lived in this area for two years and always try to avoid this place because of their very rude staff. No customer service skills or respect from the staff. As a student who always needs and appreciates coffee houses to study in I can say with absolute certainty that I will NOT be returning here, and that this is not how to run a business!

Extremely rude staff. They are very discriminatory towards students, and make it clear they do not want anyone studying or using a laptop. Was told to move to make room for the lunch rush at around 2pm on a Sunday- there were plenty of tables, and no rush to speak of. I was not thanked for moving, and the barista was unwelcoming and unpleasant, and Im convinced it was because Im a student. Cant believe a local business is treating its customers this way and getting away with it. Will be telling everyone not to go here!

Wish I could give no stars. Something seriously needs to be done about their hatred towards students. Students make up a huge portion of the community and yet they are extremely unwelcome at this location. I was studying here yesterday and was rudely asked to leave. Apparently 90% of [their] customers ask [them] to prohibit anyone use [sic] laptops or homework. This is a direct quote from one of their replies to a customer review. Funny, because I would say that 90% of their customers are students. UVic offers some great business courses that might help you properly run your cafe :)

Fresh food in display case looked healthy and delectable - tempting to purchase! The lg iced coffee was perfecto and the lady behind the counter was likewise just perfect (friendly, efficient, patient... I dont usually tip on just a coffee but felt compelled to hit the 20% option!!!)

They make a great Flat White. Just be warned they are not very friendly towards using your laptop especially during peak hours in the afternoon. They probably wont tell you to leave unless theyre busy but still not a really friendly place to study.

Never been here before today - had very berry bran muffin and 12oz americano- muffin was moist, flavorful and wasnt overly sugary that it ended up like those muffins that taste like cake - americano was definitely better than most, either due to the barista, beans or both. Located on corner of oak and foul bay, sat outside with my friend and chatted and people watched. Nice experience overall, would come back again if I was in the neighborhood

I went to Good Earth coffee this morning for the first time. I was looking to for a place to sit down and complete some work on my laptop; this was not the place. I ordered the green tea latte, which was very good and there are a number of delicious looking foods available, but there are signs on the tables explaining this is not a place to work on your computer or homework during the day. Rating 3 stars based on this. Coffee shops are generally a place paying customers can also use a laptop. Would avoid if a student.

Friendly, helpful staff and the most awesome lentil stew for breaky

Nice coffee, nice place to enjoy coffe with music and book

Not what I expected from the outside decor which looked cookie cutter. It was friendly, well stocked with different dietary choices, and I was able to charge my phone while I had lunch

Stunning looks, good food, great smoothies!

Nice vibes, tons of food options.

Seems very nickel and diming - charing a little more for a 12, 16 and 20 ounce tea - its one tea bag and just a bit more hot water - really?

Great coffee

Good study spot

We stumbled in here because the pet was out at Discovery Coffee and were glad for it. There were many options. The staff were friendly. The Wi-Fi was connected. I could sit and work on my computer work no problems, also.

I love this place, its spacious, comfortable and the staff are genuinely pleasant. Their drink prices are typical but the quality of them is top notch. They do a great earl grey latte and the chai tea is lovely as well. The food is quite good and fairly reasonably priced, just had the chicken pot pie (which is actually just the filling in a bowl) and its fantastic. The free Wi-Fi works great and they are totally ok with a student like myself sitting around working on home work.

When I was at the till I was given a time limit as to how long I could stay because I was doing homework and he didnt want me to take up a table. However, I was a paying customer and there were many tables available. I have never been treated this way at a coffee shop before!