Capital One Café

Visited Capital One Café yesterday and had a great experience. I got a cappuccino and loved that I received 50% off just for using my Capital One card, such a nice perk! The coffee was good, and the atmosphere was calm and comfortable.

The space is perfect for working or studying plenty of seating, natural light, and a relaxed vibe. Definitely a great spot if you want to grab coffee and get some work done in downtown LA.

I visited the Capital One Café at 8th and Grand for the first time on a Sunday morning to explore the space and get some work done on my laptop. I was casually dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie and carried a backpack containing my laptop—nothing unusual compared with the many other casually dressed customers in the café.

As I walked around looking at the chess set, games, and available tables, I noticed multiple employees watching me closely from different areas. The attention became uncomfortable enough that I made eye contact with one employee with an expression clearly questioning why she was staring at me.

Another employee, Jay, then called out from across the café to ask whether I needed help. Because of the way I had already been watched, the question did not feel neutral or welcoming. I told him I did not need assistance and pointed out that numerous other customers were also walking around and browsing. Jay responded that I was “the only one who looked lost.”

I was not lost. I was doing exactly what the other customers were doing: exploring the café, looking at its amenities, and locating a table. The only thing confusing me was why multiple employees appeared so hyper-focused on me while everyone else was allowed to move through the space without the same scrutiny.

When I addressed the staring, Jay attempted to reframe the interaction as a welcome. However, neither Jay nor the other employee had actually welcomed me. They watched me closely, singled me out, and then Jay verbalized the assumption behind that attention by telling me I looked lost.

The combined experience felt profiling, humiliating, and deeply unwelcoming. Calling selective scrutiny “help” does not make it helpful, and describing it as a welcome does not erase the discomfort it caused.

If this café is, in fact, open to the public, it would be great if Jay and the other employees were reminded of that. Customers should not have to explain their education, profession, clothing, belongings, or reason for visiting before being permitted to browse, sit down, and work in peace.

A genuine welcome would have been a simple greeting offered consistently—not multiple employees staring at one customer, followed by a creative way of communicating that she appeared out of place.

Capital One should review how employees at this location approach and assess customers. People should not be singled out based on their appearance, clothing, belongings, race, or an employee’s personal assumptions about who belongs in the café.

Super clean, super nice staff. I came here to use the wifi and get a coffee. I don’t have a capital one card so I didn’t get a discount, but they offered me a free sugar cookie. I love that there are outlets everywhere as well as a place to have your purse at the sit down bar. I walked here, I wouldn’t recommend driving here as parking is unpredictable. Really nice place to hang out for a morning pick me up. It’s also really quiet, you’re able to hold a conversation with someone.

The Matcha was AMAZING and always is. However, I was a little disappointed because they don’t wear gloves here and the girl that made our Matchas was working the register, moving her hair out of her face constantly and making our Matchas. That’s unsanitary!!! Good hygiene should play a factor when dealing with food or drinks of any kind. Please change this!!! I’ve gone to many Asian establishments and markets and they have on gloves!!! People shouldn’t be taking orders moving their hair and making drinks at the same time.

Capital One café is a great perk offered by the company. Discounted drinks for card members, 45 minute parking validation. Free access to restrooms and wifi. ATMs and friendly ambassadors.

TLDR: For people seeking study cafes, don't come here. The vibes suck. Hilltop nearby is nice for working, or even the public library for really heads-down work. I've had the best luck in Ktown; I really like Alchemist!

Warning that the staff here are unusually rude. I highly recommended C1 cafes for studying to my friend and we went together, as I'd had wonderful experiences at other branches (especially in Santa Monica and SF!!). However, the staff here are curt, uncaring, scrutinizing, and honestly the biggest turnoff from working at the cafe, despite the space & 1/2 off coffee being decent enough. I was genuinely shocked given how lovely the other branches are.
They don't allow you to even step a single foot in the empty nook - which I totally understand if you're overstepping someone else's reservation, but I wasn't even allowed to borrow the empty nook while it wasn't reserved for an urgent 10 minute call. I was a little desperate and polite about it but there was absolutely no wiggle room. I noticed that the room stayed open and unused for a while afterwards, but they fully kicked me and my friend off the premises... for trying to use an unused service, even for just a short time 🥲I'm trying to rationalize their strict demands by wondering if it's due to their location in DTLA, which is a little crappy in and of itself, but I guess I could get that from a business perspective.
If I weren't a returning customer of C1 cafes, this would honestly tarnish C1 entirely for me, even beyond the cafes, and I swear I'm not dramatizing this. I'll likely still visit the Santa Monica branch when I'm in the area, but will stay far, far away from this location.

I liked the capital one cafe as it's a relaxing place with free wifi. The people who work there don't bother you. Also I work late and their ATM makes me feel more secure as you have to have a capital one card to get in; you are not standing on a side walk. The ATM also has a big mirror that says "We got your back". Their savings account gave much higher interest than national average so I bank there.

Verve coffee is a nice change. I did find the espresso on the lighter side. So get a cortado or set your expectations if you get an expresso drink. The young man working the counter was great humoring my question about the beans being used.

Minus star is because of the parking. They do valid and the brand ambassador who validated is nice and all but it takes time and in my case even being conscious of the time limit the parking company parquor charged me $6 because they said I went over by 12min based on their clock. No grace period. Wow that was an expensive coffee run

I had to work remote for 3 days while my daughter attended FIDM and these guys were so accomodating. I am a capital one member but was not asked or hasseled once. I came in got a cup of coffee sat down and got staright to work. The wifi connection was great, the customer service at the coffee bar was fantastic and the banking assistance I witnessed was energetic and professional. The cafe was clean as well as the surrounding area.

I remember going here and the atm machines weren't working. One of the attendants said we could use an atm....that was technically outside and in the lobby of a building next door. lol My experience felt as if I was in a Starbucks and the atm machine was busted. I didnt bother having coffee. The place should be called Cafe by Capital One, since it feels more like a coffee shop than a bank. Interesting setup though.

love this place. Great coffee, staff, wifi, etc.

First time at a Capital One Cafe and I didn't know what to expect, but it was a good experience. Everyone working there is friendly and helpful. The coffee I got was half price simply for me being a cardholder. There are numerous tables with charging ports if you want to get some work done, and some good options for food and caffeine to keep you going.