R.I.P. Cibo West End

THIS ICED COFFEE BLOG BEGAN WHEN I LIVED IN THE BURBS AND HAD A TERRIBLE ICED COFFE AT A ZARRAFFA'S AND DREAMT OF LIVING IN WEST END SO THAT I COULD BE CLOSER TO THE BEST ICED COFFEE IN TOWN AT CIBO.

MY MY, HAVEN'T THINGS CHANGED.  I REALISED MY DREAM AND DID MOVE TO WEST END AND FOR ABOUT 6MTHS ENJOYED THE FRIENDLY EFFICIENT SERVICE AT CIBO WEST END. I INDULGED REGULARLY IN THE ICED COFFEE WHICH WAS STRONG, OVERLY GENEROUS IN ITS HELPING OF ESPRESSO GELATO AND CONSISTENTLY GOOD.

AND THEN THE ROT SET IN.

NEW STAFF LET THE BRAND DOWN.  THEY WERE ARROGANTLY IGNORANT.  THE FINAL STRAW WAS WHEN ONE YOUNG PUNK TOOK OUR COFFEE ORDER WHILE HE CONTINUED TO CHAT ON THE PHONE.  THE ICED COFFEES BECAME MEAN SPIRITED LIKE THE STAFF.  THEY OFTEN RAN OUT OF THE GELATO AND THE COFFEE WAS LACK LUSTRE LIKE THE ESTABLISHMENT.

THIS IS SUCH A PERTINENT LESSON TO ALL BUSINESSES.  NEVER REST ON YOUR LAURELS, NEVER ASSUME YOU'LL BE AHEAD OF YOUR GAME, NEVER EMPLOY STAFF THAT AREN'T 100% PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PRODUCT, NEVER ASSUME THAT YOUR CUSTOMER ISN'T WATCHING VERY CLOSELY, NEVER STOP IMPROVING AND WORKING HARD.

CIBO IS NOW CLOSED/FOLDED/GONESKI.  A VERY SAD ENDING TO WHAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP.

PS - (WE'VE TRIED THE NEW FARM OUTLET SINCE THEN BUT WERE MET AGAIN BY ROBOTIC STAFF AND SUBSTANDARD PRODUCT - HMMM SMELLS LIKE TROUBLE)

CUP (THE OTHER ICED COFFEE!)

I RETURNED TO CUP AT WEST END A FEW DAYS LATER TO TRY THEIR OTHER ICED COFFEE.  THIS ONE IS A COLD DRIP FILTERED VERSION. 

AS MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE ICED COFFEE LANDSCAPE OF QLD (AND BEYOND) CONTINUES THIS IS THE SORT OF DRINK THAT'S TAKING MY FANCY. SERVED UP IN THIS STYLE I CAN FEEL THE "CONOISSEUR" COMING IN OUT IN ME.  THIS STYLE MAKES ME STOP AND CONSIDER HOW MY TASTEBUDS ARE INTERACTING WITH THE COFFEE.  LIKE A FINE WINE OR THE BEST SCOTCH SERVED ON ICE, CUP'S COLD PRESSED COFFEE STOPS YOU IN YOUR TRACKS AND ASKS YOU TO BE MINDFUL RATHER THAN SIMPLY A CONSUMER.

Rating - 9

Cup Specialty Coffee - Russell St West End (next to Suncorp)

CIBO RESPONDS

OUT FOR OUR EARLY MORNING WALK ON SATURDAY AND NEEDED A PICK-ME-UP.

WE JUMPED INTO CIBO WEST END AND ORDERED OUR ICED COFFEES.

WE'VE BEEN DISAPPOINTED LATELY - CIBO SEEMED TO BE SCRIMPING ON THE EXPRESSO GELATO, THE MILK SEEMED TEPID - IT DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME MAGIC.

SO WHEN OUR FAVOURITE BARISTA TOLD ME HE'D RUN OUT OF EXPRESSO GELATI I TOLD HIM GRIMLY THAT CIBO WAS SLIPPING IN THE RANKINGS.

HE RESPONDED WITH A HEFTY SERVE OF A SUBSTITUTE GELATI (TASTED LIKE A FERRERO ROCHER CHOCOLATE) AND A NICE STRONG SHOT OF COFFEE IN OUR ICED COFFEES.

AS OUR MAN SAYS - WHAT IS A "REAL ICED COFFEE?" IT'S LIKE ASKING "WHAT IS ART?"

THERE'S A VERY WIDE CONTINUUM WITH DESMOND AND MOLLY JONES SERVING WHAT IS CLOSE TO A DESSERT AND AT THE OTHER END FIRST POUR SERVING UP SOMETHING CLOSE TO A FINE WINE.