Bean Around the World Coffees

3 stars because I like the space. Rustic and quite a big space to hang out and sip your coffee, tea. Questionable music. Barely there customer service. No service with a smile. Good selection of bakery goods. Open early which is nice. If you’re coming here to simply hangout and do your own thing, it’s a good place. Lots of chairs and tables. Don’t come here for service. Had a ham and cheese croissant. It’s okay.

I come here all the time bc I work super close. This place has got the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. I went in to get a muffin and she didn’t bother to give me muffin she just walked away so I had to grab it from across the counter. I always over hear her speak with her co workers, quite loudly, so customers can hear her and She always complains any being hung over and she comes to work with a stank attitude.

I used to eat here almost every lunch hour until they started charging to get my sandwich on focaccia instead of the regular bread. Any place that charges to make the customer happy I avoid. It would be one thing to charge because the sandwiches are premade, but they do it when they’re going to be making your sandwich from scratch anyways. I vote with my dollar and these kind of petty business practices secure that vote.
This isn’t about the amount they charge, it’s about the principal. It’s literally just a money grab, which says a lot about the owners.
The decision to charge 50 cents on a petty thing has lost them $ 10 3 days a week. That’s around $ 1560 a year. Add in the amount of clients who ask for a good lunch spot in the area, that I now send to DD Mau instead, and it’s a decent loss.

Awesome ham & fig sandwich, perfect balance and the bread is fresh and delicious. The latte was delicious and piping hot! I will pass on the soup next, it was nothing special.
Service was fast and friendly. Atmosphere was great, reminded me of the coffee shops in savannah GA, which I’m always searching for. I could imagine being a regular here.
Oh, and the cookies… Fresh, soft and chewy, loved it (had the chocolate chip)

I have been here a number of times since I live not too far away and it’s convenient. This review is based mostly on the service and the ambiance of the place and I would maybe give it a 2.5 stars. The food is pretty good most of the time and the sandwiches are pretty fresh and tasty. The problem is that the service is mediocre and indifferent, and the place has no atmosphere at all. There is no music playing, the layout is awkward and no attention to décor, and that tables are often dirty even when nobody is there. There is a leak from one of the pipes above that drips onto one of the tables and when I went back a month later it was still leaking on the table. It’s dark, and horribly lit. The staff is never friendly, and although I have never experienced outright rudeness, I never feel welcomed. I always have the feeling I am interrupting them. It’s obviously a management problem, since they don’t seem to be enjoying being there.
It’s too bad because it;s a great location and it could do really well. It just seems like the owner doesn’t care enough to make the small improvements it would take to make it a more inviting place. The only reason I go there once in a while is because it’s convenient and the food is usually decent.

First time here for to go order.
First, I can’t say I was too thrilled from my first impression from particularly the guy who was working behind the till. He wasn’t very friendly at all when I asked him very politely for both my sandwiches (Turkey and Pesto Chicken) for to go and frankly, his tone and manner were extremely confrontional and acting like he wanted to start a fight. I was astonished by his voice is far noiser than the entire store sounds and asked him what his problem was while I proceed the payment.
Secondly is both our sandwich had too much bread/​baguettes– not a lot filling aka too little protein. Seriously it was look like being such tightwads with their meat. I ended up threw out the excessive bread. Also the bread was very hard as if I was chewing two pieces of hard cardboards.
I love local business and always want to support as much as possible but will not be eating here again.

I came by this place for lunch, tried their sandwich combo — sandwich and soup deal. I liked thai soup, and picked the turkey sandwich. The soup was great, but the sandwich was so so. Not sure if it was made fresh during the day or not. The pricing was on the higher side, for the portion that I had.
The seating was spacious, with lots of chairs, bench for sit around. Don’t get a big place to hang around in the neighborhood area, and this is probably one of a few.
The lighting was dark, and cold. Will be chill out in winter time.
Overall, it was a ok trip here. I may get by next time to try their salad bowl.

The staff here are ever so great. They connect more personally. Ashley, one staff, remembers my kind of coffee after a couple of visits. I get my coffee there everyday, and a muffin (sometimes :)! Thanks for the great service!

3 stars… I used to come here almost every day, it was slowly becoming my favourite coffee place, but today I came and ordered a medium latte and I was given a small one. I told the lady and the only thing she did was frost more soy milk and empty my small latte into a medium cup, for the price I’m paying I was expecting at least an apology and the corresponding expresso in my latte. What a way to ruin somebody’s morning, will think hard before I come back.

Out of all of the neighbourhood cafes that I have visited in Vancouver, I have never experienced such disrespectful customer service like I did this afternoon. This review is based on my experience with one specific staff member working behind the till.
As I waited at the end of the line to pay for my order, I began looking at my phone, while being mindful of the movement of the line and of my surrounding space. As the customer in front of me finished his payment, I proceeded to look up and began walking towards the counter. Albeit, one could argue that I was not «on top of my game» and was not ready down to the exact second. A second customer was making his way to the cashier, and since I was at the end of the line, there was no clear indication as to where the line actually was. He headed straight for the same cashier to pay for his order. If you’re familiar with this location, you’ll know that the walkway is an awkward space.
The conversation that took place next was what I found to be the most disrespectful and unacceptable. The staff member then says to the second customer, «She’s looking at her phone and not paying attention. If they’re not paying attention, I’ll take the next customer. It’s a pet peeve of mine when people are on their phone.» She must’ve thought that there was a brick wall between us. Maybe she should try standing on the other side of the counter, because her comments were heard, loud and clear. I’d like to point out that after I finished paying for my order, she said nicely to the customer behind me, «I can help you over here».
She imposed her judgement and bias towards me in the split second that she saw me looking at my phone. She adjusted her service attitude based on her personal preferences, and righteously deemed her opinion and comments to be acceptable. It doesn’t matter which industry you are in – personal biases against customers (that are standing 3ft away) should not be used loudly and publicly as a conversation starter with other customers. At least have the decency to address your remarks quietly, or voice them to me directly.
Bean Around the World Yaletown has always been an enjoyable and convenient location across the office for a quick lunch fix. I will be opting for friendly and respectable establishments in the future.

Hopped in for some lunch to-​go! The sandwiches are a pretty good quick fix. The mozzarella sandwich and beef short rib sandwiches were both served on crunchy baguettes… very flavorful! By the way, the soups were delicious. I would go back for a quick meal anytime.

I am not really familiar with coffee but knew I needed some kind of fix. I went in and the barista was super helpful — she ended up narrowing down what I wanted to an iced mocha (blended ice I think, it was definitely more of a slushy).
Boy oh boy was it ever delicious and she was quite generous with the whipped cream.
Then menu is huuuge and a bit daunting but everything looks so delicious, I’ll be sure to try some more stuff when I’m in next.

Wow, this place has changed so much over the years. The owners used to be this New Zealand couple, now it’s this very nice asian couple. They’ve really expanded their food menu and have made some additions I really appreciate. I ate here all the time as it was right next to my office building, here’s what I liked and don’t like.
LIKES:
1. Tons of vegan options, both savory and sweet.
2. Gluten free if you’re into that
3. Almond milk if you’re into that
4. I LOVED the quinoa bowl. Seriously, they have quinoa? So awesome!!! I would order it with tofu, cooked broccoli, raw carrots, beets & sprouts, and peanut lime dressing. Sooo yummy and what a perfect healthy lunch!!!
DISLIKES:
1. I was never a big fan of their sandwiches and other cooked goods. I saw lots of people order this stuff, but I didn’t think the quality was all that great, and it seemed pricey for what you got.
ATMOSPHERE:
The café seating area is quite large for Yaletown and for being a café. It’s a nice spot to hang out with friends althought it can get a little chilly in the winter. Also there are no windows besides at the front entrance so the atmosphere is a little dark/​cave-​like.

Note: This review is based on an experience from spring of 2011 (I figured I should finished it). I haven’t been back since… Maybe they’ve gotten their act together?
—–
The food here is decent, but I think this past lunch trip makes this place a write-​off. All of these things happened during a single visit:
1. I grabbed a can of tonic water from the drink fridge and it had pieces of old rice on it. Rice so old that it had grown mold on it.
2. I ordered a full sandwich, they gave me a half one. I had to correct this.
3. Friend order a half sandwich, they gave him a full.
4. Friend got his soup and it was cold. He took it back and someone put it in the microwave for him. The microwave finished, someone else took it out of he microwave and left it on the counter waited 5 minutes. Eventually he grabbed someone and said «that’s my soup». The girl then poured it back in the soup pot and re-​dished it to him. He had eaten from it.
I’m sorry Bean Around the World, but the service at this location is slow service and confused. Based on what I saw this day, I’m wouldn’t want to come back here.

Sometimes I’ll treat myself to a latte and a slice of loaf, which is how I found myself here after an early-​morning dentist appointment.
Is $ 8 too much for a latte and Saran-​wrapped day-​old loaf? I though so and jokingly voiced my $ 0.02, promptly cancelling my loaf order (hey, a gal needs a pick-​me-​up once in a while).
Based on the attitude I got from the cashier, she was not amused. Eyes were rolled. Looks were exchanged between the barista and my nemesis. This is the second time I’ve visited the location and on both visits I felt like I’d receive better counter service at McDonalds.
The latte is good, but Yaletown can keep their $ 8 morning pick-​me-​ups. I work a union job, fer Chrissakes!

Biiiiiiiig selection of food! Lots of choice of cookies, cake slices, plus a wide range of sandwiches, rice bowl dishes, soups, etc. So for whatever reason, I didn’t order anything. It got extremely busy in there at lunch, very noisy and crowded. Much bigger inside then I thought, is like a Tardis!
The latte I had was ok, nothing to write home about, and scorching hot! My tongue was burnt the rest of the day ;)

I like any place that tells you where the coffee you’re drinking is from. And it’s close to work to get a quick caffeine fix.
However, there seems to be an inordinate number of complaints. I had half a sandwich once, it wasn’t bad. In fact they had a huge lunch crowd standing in line.

GIANT MARSHMALLOW RICE KRISPY CAKES! Need I say more? Okay.
If I’m not in my apartment, find me at Bean Around. It gives Starbucks a smack upside the head. With a full food counter, you can order paninis, wraps, pasta and bagels. Then you can move onto desserts and pack some more fat on that ass with gorgeous looking cookies and cakes. They have a full board of coffees to choose from, but sadly no flavoured blends, and you can buy freshly roasted beans too. I asked for tea, server asked ‘what kind’, I said ‘what you got’, he said ‘everything’. Well played, Bean Around.
It isn’t cheap, but you pay a little extra for the funky couches and chairs, relaxed ambience and the jazz music (no Taylor Swift here). I did have to listen to two inane marketing women chatter and I think a guy tried to pick me up by asking ‘um do you know what kind of rice this is’. Me ‘dunno, brown rice?’. Conversation over. I’m a tough nut to crack.

This has been my ‘go-​to’ for breakfast and lunch at work. I still love their food and think it’s a really great place, but I felt I needed to comment about the service. It’s hit or miss here. The staff are regulars, and sometimes they greet you with a smile, other days they actually ignore you. You order from them and they make no eye contact, looking straight at the cashier, and don’t use even the most basic of human civilities.
In addition, they have a coffee punch card (10 coffees, 1 free), and they make no effort to promote it to people whenever someone buys a coffee, and actually look at you begrudgingly when you ask them to stamp it.
Some of the staff here are always pleasant — but the majority have mood swings that make me wonder if a café can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

I should’ve gotten a latte… they looked soooooo good! but I was hungry. and didn’t feel like coffee. There is a huge food selection. and I remember my roomate saying how he hadn’t had a jamaican pattie in so long… and then i saw it:
Jamaican Vegetable Pattie. SOLD. It had beans, chickpeas, potatos, spices etc etc… I was warned it was spicy and it WAS… once grilled, it looked a lot smaller and a lot less filling. but I still enjoyed it when I got back to work.
Their sandwiches and and paninis look delicious and you can get a half portion as well…
The space looked nice. it was big too… the service was a little slow and there were a lot of people working. but I guess you can’t control the speed of a grill and a steaming pitcher…
I want a cup of coffee now… I am sure this 3 — star rating would be better.