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2007-11-21

I've had to give Charbucks some action, with ugly consequences

MARGATE, New Jersey - I've had to hunt around South Jersey this week for wifi I could use while working. Tuesday I worked from a friend's house, but Monday and Wednesday I was left to scrounge about. South Jersey is not like Seattle, where wifi is easily found. I ended up at Charbucks some of the time, with less than happy results.

The espresso was bad, but I was expecting that. They had doughnuts from Top Pot, which is a good Seattle doughnut, but these did not taste the same. Either they jack them up with preservatives for national distribution, or they were just a bit too old.

I bought some T-Mobile HotSpot time and tried working from Charbucks. Today, the first two Charbucks I tried had music far too loud for working, or conversation, or anything. At the second, I tipped the barista and asked her to lower the volume; it would have take professional audio equipment to notice the volume drop she executed. This was the Charbucks in the pier that Caesars has swanked up, it had a great view of the ocean and city, it would have been nice to work there, but the music was loud to the point of contempt and hostility.

Their website store locator needs updating: it did not indicate that the Pier Charbucks had HotSpot, even though it does, and it had the phone number wrong for a second Charbucks.

I've since stumbled upon a Charbucks here that has secret, free, unauthorized (not T-Mobile) wifi; I won't reveal the location but it's quiet, and has free wifi, and I will have to haunt this Charbucks going forward.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Charbucks has forced communal tips so the barista had no real incentive to lower the music. I like the good old days where people could take tips and slip you favors. Top Pot does have really yummy doughnuts. And as boring as it sounds, I am a fan of Mighty-O also because they have light doughnuts for when I am in the mood. But while you are in Jersey you are missing the Candied Yam cupcake at Trophy! I am getting one tomorrow. They look amazing!!!