Fuel Pump

I want to like Fuel Pump because the espresso is quite good and the employees are kind, but the prices are simply outrageous and also NOT accurately reflected in the menu. For example, a macchiato costs 5.95 according to the menu. Mind you, this is a traditional macchiato which consists of a double espresso with a dollop of foam on top. 5.95 is cutting it, but I felt that I could swing it this time. I was instead charged 7.79+tax=8.84. Wow, that’s a substantial difference in price. I would have also liked to selected the “for here” option because I hate wasting paper and plastic cups, but that costs EXTRA! Apparently it’s because they want to give you a sip of seltzer water. I’m good with just a ceramic cup of coffee. I was given a refund, and left a tip for the employees trouble. But why would the owner not update this?! A macchiato should be 4.00 at most in this economy. I could see an increase in price if the coffee was locally roasted or specialty, but they just use Black Cat by intelligentsia. A bag of black cat is 17.50 from their website. It is not the extra special espresso that they claim in shop. I would like to also honorably mention the culture that the owner has cultivated in this coffee shop. We are aggressive salesman apparently at Fuel Pump. Just let me get my coffee man, I don’t need a 15 dollar chai served on a silver platter.

Very impressive selection of coffee drinks and a nice stop in Carytown. We chilled at the counter and did some people watching while having a Matcha latte with lavender and honey and soy milk, pistachio white chocolate and a ginger espresso mule. We got there in time before a line formed to the door. The baristas were very friendly, informative and ready to help you with customized creations.

I was just about to visit my normal Starbucks, so glad I did not. Their coffees are great. I had the egg nog latte(normal one) which is wayyyyy better than Starbucks.

Visiting a friend in Richmond who got caught at work so I found Fuel Pump near by to hang out at. Place is a pretty cool vibe. There’s big windows to people watch the streets as well as a patio. It’s on a corner so there’s plenty of action. I got a vanilla latte with oat milk as well as a banana bread. Overall, the coffee itself was on par with what would be expected, but nothing to rave about. It came in a fancy Le Creuset mug and good presentation overall, but that’s about it for interesting. Banana bread was served warmed but seemed as if out of box at some point. Idk, for $17 total for just a coffee and a muffin, I was hoping for more. Shoutout to the barista, who brought the muffin and coffee to where I was working. Points for service. Also there’s only 1 available set of outlets in the whole seating area, so bring your stuff charged. Oh, and they have Lofi Fruits music playing on full volume for some reason. Although bearable at first, a softcore core cover of “jingle bells” and “silent night” became kind of overpowering after a while… especially when on max volume. The bathrooms were clean and toilet paper was top tier. That was a highlight for sure. Overall, glad I tried it but definitely gonna check some other spots out before ever coming back to this one.

I have a soft spot for coffee shops that do fun crazy drinks and Fuel Pump does a really good job with theirs. The baristas are super friendly and if you come in regularly there’s a locals discount. Imo it’s a little better than sugar & twine and less busy, but they’re very different vibes and a few blocks apart so I don’t know if that’s a fair comparison.