So, my love affair with Peet’s had a rocky start. I’ve tried the coffee before and I knew I liked it, however I was a little surprised to see the Barista at the Bethesda branch sniffing my fresh cup of Java. It was not a grubby sniff. More the kind of sniff you give your thanksgiving dinner as you wait for your family to take their seats. It was a longing sniff.
I fired off a semi-tongue in cheek tweet @peets_tweets. I swiftly received a very polite response asking that I forward my concerns to a customer service email address. In hind sight I was a little too quick to judge. Peet’s is great coffee. Like, really great. The company have clearly spent decades developing the flavor. It is bitter and will probably be a little strong for new coffee drinkers, however, for me it’s perfect.
The decor in Bethesda Peet’s is fresh and light. A dark wooden counter is complimented by beech veneer tables and silver chairs, reflecting the natural daylight pouring through the stores many windows. It’s lovely. The staff are more lululemon than they are Starbucks. Helpful, cheery and genuinely look like they are enjoying what they do.
Peet’s replaced the fundamentally awful Caribou Coffee opposite Bethesda Metro Station. I hated Caribou coffee. I found it insipid and cold. The few times I went in there I found the staff devouring confectionary, desperately trying to ignore customers. Lazily crawling to the counter to take my order. Even though the place was empty I think I was in there fifteen minutes waiting for my drink.
So Peet’s is very welcome. Although I don’t anticipate seeing much more coffee sniffing, I can sympathize with why he did it. Peet’s is great.
Considering how dim my view of American coffee was when I arrived, Bethesda is surprisingly blessed with ample excellent coffee houses.
Brit In Bethesda 