LA Vida Java Coffee Company

My family loves La Vida Java. The staff is really nice and helpful. They always welcome us and thank us when we leave The kids love the fruit smoothies especially the caramel apple ones. I prefer tea and they have several to choose from. They serve it in a cute tea pot with a real cup. My husband likes his coffee dark and picks up a bag of their Afro Cubano every week. It is our favorite coffee house. My daughter even asked for a gift card for her birthday! La Vida Java is doing something right!

Every coffee shop in Louisville allows a customer to enter, hook up to the internet, and make purchases at their leisure. We always buy tea, coffee, or a meal, and then utilize our time to work on our writing at coffee shops like The Java on Frankfort Ave, or Heine Brothers. Those coffee shops know how to treat their customers, and they make you feel good about spending your hard earned dollars in their establishments. However, at LA Vida Java, we were told to leave because we didn't make a purchase within a twenty-minute time frame!!!!! That was rude and insensitive!!!!! There is NO SIGN posted anywhere of this policy, which leads us to believe that this rule was made specifically for us at that moment. The customer attention in this place sucks!!!!! A fledgling company like LA Vida can't tell customers how fast to spend their money, and expect to stay in business for the long haul. Maybe we weren't the right COLOR, because I know OTHER customers who have gone into this place, hooked up to the internet, and never purchased ANYTHING. I strongly feel like we were discriminated against. The manager doesn't realize that EVER DOLLAR is important today, even the dollars that might come in after their imaginary "twenty-minute" window of high pressure coffee sales!!!!!! LA Vida Java SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS, and we want the world to know it.

Comments (1)

Aunt T - 09/28/09
Remember your favorite little cafe to go sit and read, conduct your business meetings, and meet your friends for good conversation? A place where you can go spend hours in the most comfy seats, in a welcoming atmosphere? Sad that it doesn't exist anymore? Small businesses are trying to serve their customers as best they can. Unfortunately, people who don't buy their products aren't customers. It's really sad that people expect something for nothing. Please support your local establishments by making a purchase so they can provide you the comfortable atmosphere and electricity to run your laptop. A cup of coffee isn't much to ask. Also, it's pretty sad that because you got "insulted" by being asked to help support the establishment that you are enjoying, it is automatically a racial issue. It's not. This company is owned by minorities and would be the last to be racist. If you really want America to continue to be owned by your local neighbors, please help support them by making a purchase to use their facilities. Otherwise, there are local public venues such as libraries that are paid for by your tax dollars.

This place is on the verge of being a great addition to the East End. They have better lattes than Starbucks, a plenty comfortable decor, FREE wireless, and plenty of outlets for everyone who wants to hang out with a laptop.

And, the marriachi music is only occassional now - not always.

Comments (1)

LVJ - 08/04/08
At La Vida Java we strive to create a tropical atmosphere for our customers. We play a wide selection of tropical music, including brazilian jazz, latin classics, summer themes, beach boys, jimmy buffett, steel drums, reggae and sometimes we'll slip in some good ole Sting, Eric Clapton or Jack Johnson. We hope this music selection will please our customers and provide something different than what you hear around town. Please, if you are unhappy with the music, talk to a barista and we will try to vary the selections that are playing! We want our customers to be happy and enjoy their tropical visit right here in Louisville.