Payson Roundup

Editor:

Fireside Espresso is a great place to visit friends, hold meetings, or simply enjoy a cup of really good coffee while using the free high-speed Internet.

In today’s economy, we all need to be careful with our money, but I think an hour or two of high-speed Internet is well worth the cost of a cup of coffee. I’m not the only person who enjoys what Fireside Espresso has to offer. From what I’ve observed, many people enjoy the coffeehouse, business is steady and sometimes almost overwhelming.

Upon closer observation however, I’ve noticed that while most people pay for their services, some don’t purchase anything, but freely use the Internet and the facilities. People sit for hours online, taking up table space, and don’t purchase so much as a cup of coffee.

Some bring in outside food and drink, and I was a little shocked once to see a man ask the barista to reheat the cup of coffee he’d brought in from home. (She graciously heated it for him, by the way.) Tight economy or not, it’s shameful to see how people take advantage.

The sign outside the door asking customers not to bring in outside drinks shouldn’t be necessary, but certainly should be honored. Fireside Espresso is a place of business offering services that should be paid for, and I can’t understand why some people have decided they don’t have to. Maybe Fireside Espresso should change store policy to provide Internet service for paying customers only, or a one drink minimum for those attending meetings in their facility. Maybe, people who go into a coffee shop should at least buy a cup of coffee.

It would be a shame for such a nice little place to have to close, due in part to the thoughtlessness of its own customers. I hope to frequent Fireside Espresso for years to come, and not just for the Internet and coffee — they make a delicious raspberry scone, also.

Shannon Bielke