Finch’s. The amazingly charming cafe with a European feel, serving baked goods and baguette sandwiches at a premium. Here you will find an almost unbelievable concentration of beautiful, offbeat women, enjoying coffee and long chats. It is hard not to like Finch’s.
But Finch’s is busy and Finch’s is slow. I forgot just how slow. I went in for a late lunch today to get an overpriced $8 bocconcini baguette, and spent no less than 45 minutes waiting for it. The staff of 5 attractive and friendly women are seemingly unable or unwilling to move faster than a snail’s pace. As an insult to boot, they served a friend of theirs in line behind me, before me.
And instead of an apology or any recognition of the almost-hour I spent standing in a crowd, waiting for sliced bits of cheese and tomato to get stuffed into a piece of bread, there is a sign that says, “At Finches, we take the time to make our food fresh and beautiful. Please be patient or call ahead.”
To me this sums up the service philosophy (or lack thereof). “We don’t hurry and you can take it or leave it.” I guess that works in a city where the kind of charm they have on offer is impossible to find otherwise. In a city where despite the fact my sandwich is sitting on my desk and I want to smash it rather than eat it, I will be drawn back there easily. But definitely not for take-out and definitely not in a rush. And lets be honest, definitely not soon. I don’t care how beautiful they all are.
353 W Pender St
Vancouver, BC V6B
www.finchteahouse.com
Tags: baguette, baked goods, cafe, coffee, VancouverPhoto Credit: By svacher on Flickr CC BY NC ND
While I am ranting, and as a side note, while I was waiting, an old man in a wheelchair was deposited through the door of Finch’s by someone passing by. They left him jamming the door open, in the way of everything. Some of us tried to get him to a table, out of the way, but he remained blocking the door, causing people to keep asking me to close the door (which I couldn’t do). Eventually some people left and we moved some furniture and got him settled. At no time did any of the 5 staff think to get involved with helping this old man blocking their door and jamming their door open, even though I later heard that he comes in every day. The mind boggles.
And WHAT an eloquent rant. You’re a very talented writer.
The place is tiny, they are totally cornered with no room to expand, the people there work there nuts off-!! i bet they never thought they would be or intended to that busy when they started this cafe up, go easy on them, they will make mistakes but i am sure they don’t mean too. having had the unfortunate luxury of many years as a waitress i have learned that ..and in a place so overwhelmingly busy, i feel for them.
go finch’s!