Planet Bean, Guelph, ON

Drink Selection – 2/5 – The menu is tiny and far enough back and away that it makes it difficult to read. They only list the most standard selections of all coffee shops. They did not even list the flavor shots you could add, so I had to ask the barista what they had. Unfortunately while doing that I noticed that the syrups were Monin brand, so I immediately lowered my expectations. It was only later that I saw the sandwich board with their “seasonal specials” which were just "Insert Monin Flavour" Latte in a list. So without even seeing the board I accidentally ordered one of the “seasonal specials” which was the Harvest Spice Latte.

Drink Quality – 2/5 – Sigh. Another mediocre flavoured latte. At least the quality is a small step up from Benjamin’s. It was fairly bitter and only slightly sour, but it was drinkable. It was also only mildly flavourful, and the flavour was mediocre, which is to be expected with Monin brand syrups. I think that Monin syrups also all have a specific taste or after-taste that I’m not a fan of, but I can’t confirm that yet or completely describe it.

Snack Selection – 2/5 – There were a few croissant flavours and 1-2 other pastries but that was about it. It looked like they had some kind of bagel or sandwich station but it looked either abandoned/under construction or just not open yet. They had one moderately interesting croissant flavour – a hazelnut croissant – which is what I selected.

Snack Quality – 3/5 – It was okay, but not amazing. It was denser than I generally prefer in a croissant and not overly flaky. Kind of like the kind of croissant you get from the grocery store. The filling was like a slightly less-sweet Nutella, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. I would have like to see just hazelnut flavour and not chocolate-hazelnut, because that’s just Nutella, which is not very interesting.

Overall Vibes – 2/5 – For a café that I know has been there for at least a few years, somehow it still seems not finished. There doesn’t seem to be a distinct vibe, it’s neither perfectly neat and modern nor cluttered in a cozy or interesting in any way. Things seems out of place and not purposeful. I don’t have much to say about the vibes because there were none. It just felt generic and uninteresting.

Further notes – I was not expecting this place to be nearly as bad as Benjamin’s Bodega, as they take up a huge corner space in a prime location downtown Guelph and I always got the impression that they were a well-known Guelph staple. I would expect them to be popular and expect the atmosphere and selection to reflect that. Although their drinks are marginally better than Benjamin’s their vibes are much worse and overall I’m giving them the same rating.

Overall rating – 2 Stars