Cosi Main Evaluation Page.

Connecticut

Greenwich, CT (November 2, 2015, Rating: C)

Jen visited the Greenwich, CT store on Monday, November 2.  The store was located along a commercial street, in a shopping center with a grocery store, bank, and fitness studio.  There was plenty of parking.  I went in around 11:45, left around 12:30.  The store was not crowded, but there were a few diners in for lunch.  Overall I rate the location a C, because of the floors and somewhat mismatched furniture.  

  • The store was quite large, with plenty of seating.

  • The floor was in need of a serious upgrade.  The varnish on the wood floor was severely damaged.

  • Most of the furniture was uniform, except for a few stray red chairs that did not match, and a few new communal tables that are much nicer than surrounding tables.  

  • The registers were cluttered, in the same way that we have seen at other stores.

  • Traffic moved nicely into the store, with a knee wall clearly leading people from the front door to the register bank.  Note that there was no cluttered picture wall.

  • The staff was friendly.


 

230 Tresser BLVD, Stamford, CT (November 19, 2015, Rating: A)

Michael visited this store at about 2pm. The lunch crowd was long gone, but I got a good sense of how hands on Len Barnaba is managing this location. I ordered a chicken, cheddar and bacon melt. It was delicious. Not a must have but a really really good sandwich. Barnaba was walking throughout the aisles and cleaning up all the little mess on the floor that accumulated during lunch hour. The store was impecable. I even took a photo of the bathroom .... A+. This is a great location and it shows well. I really like the table they set up for kids near the entrance. On this table, you find coloring material for kids. Very nice touch. There was a small chalk board over this table. I love chalk boards to communicate with customers. I am not a fan of TV but I must say the TV on the wall displaying a football game works in this location. The staff was very friendly. Only thing missing is a smile from the baker as the guess enters the location.

 

 


 

Stamford on High Ridge Road (10/28/2015, Rating: B)

My (Jennifer) second stop was the Stamford store in High Ridge Road.  The store is located in a shopping plaza with a Walgreens, a hardware store, and a Five Guys, along a busy commercial street.  There is plenty of parking.  While the location is OK (but not great) in my opinion, the store is quite nice with a large dining area.  There I met the General Manager and Assistant Manager, who both seemed really excited about business lately.  They told me that the bowls are one of their more popular menu items (surprising) and that the new menu boards have been great.  According to them, corporate management is really focused on “the customer” and getting the right message across.  Observations:

  • The staff was quite friendly.

  • A big sign outside the door advertises free coffee every Wednesday (today).

  • There was a good amount of clutter around the registers, although I must confess the drinks in buckets tempted me to buy one - maybe they just need more space per register so they can merchandise without it looking cluttered.  

  • The space flows well, with an entry hallway and a separate exit from the dining room to avoid disturbing a line at lunchtime.

  • A half-wall separates the food preparations area from the registers, so customers can at least see the people making the food.  

  • Some of the furniture is quite dated (but clean) and the GM said there are some upgrades coming.