The Bardo Coffee House

I’ve been a loyal customer of Bardo Coffee House for years and have always enjoyed the environment. But during my most recent visit, I learned something surprising: you must purchase a drink in order to receive a Wi-Fi code — a policy that is not posted anywhere in the shop or clearly mentioned on their punch cards. In fact, the cards read “FREE WIFI” prominently, and the only fine print mentions how to earn punches for drinks, with no mention that a purchase is required for internet access. When I calmly brought this up to the manager — without anger or attitude — her demeanor changed immediately. She became noticeably defensive, which strongly suggested to me that this isn’t the first time this concern has been raised, and she knows the signage (or lack thereof) is misleading. That kind of response from management says a lot. It’s not the Wi-Fi policy itself that’s the issue — it’s the lack of transparency and the unwillingness to own or correct it when politely addressed. If you’re going to require a purchase for Wi-Fi, that’s fine — just say so clearly on your materials or in the shop. Customers deserve that honesty and clarity. I hope Bardo will choose to address this in a straightforward way, because until then, it comes across as false advertising — and that erodes trust.