Negative reviews can be a death knell for small businesses. When Samantha White and Joseph Bataller, owners and operators of Coffee Shack in Chemainus, read a scathing Google review online, their hearts sank — not just because of the potential impact on their business, but because they had already faced down so many business challenges.
The review didn’t mention their coffee or their food. In fact, it didn’t appear that the reviewer had ever set foot in the cafe. They just didn’t care for a sign in the window.
It’s a simple, perhaps even understated sign that reads, “DO EPIC SHIT”.
White and Bataller ignored the negative review and simply hoped it would, with time, be outweighed by positive ones when people visited the cafe they opened in Chemainus in 2023. They figured if they kept striving to provide great food, excellent coffee and a gathering place for the community, their efforts would be rewarded. But then the review was updated on Oct. 27 with more criticism and was followed on Oct. 28 by a post in a Facebook group for Chemainus locals.
“I see that the Coffee Shack still has that vulgar sign up inside the business. They are losing business over this. Many of my friends have told me they will not go into that place until the sign is removed. Why can’t we do things to uplift society rather than put it into the gutter? I wouldn’t teach my kids to speak obscenities or vulgar language. What is the Coffee Shack saying to all the high school kids that go by there all the time? And it doesn't make any sense to me why they would do it in the first place.”
The owners had installed the sign after overcoming extensive business challenges. The intention was to keep themselves, and anyone who saw the sign, inspired to keep going through hard times.
Exhausted from running two businesses in two towns while raising kids, this negativity felt like the last straw. The couple was at their breaking point and considered giving up.
“I honestly told Sam, maybe it's time for us to move [our business] somewhere that it can be appreciated,” said Bataller. “We were going to make a major decision.”
But then something unexpected happened. Those who were aware of the sign began throwing their support behind Coffee Shack online in the comments. Posts started popping up in Chemainus Facebook groups encouraging people to “do epic shit”. People stopped by the cafe to take selfies with the sign and posted them to social media.
Curious about the controversy, customers who hadn’t seen the sign demanded to know what it said, and others were quick to share.
Most were puzzled by the controversy.
The now-deleted post was bombarded with comments like “That’s it?” and “I thought it was something awful. Lol” and “Is that really what this is about? Wow.”
Support started pouring in for the cafe from regular customers and those who had never even heard of Coffee Shack. Almost all of the comments expressed that people found the sign uplifting.
“Driving past that sign to start my day is truly a highlight,” wrote one commenter. “I’ll be sure to pay them more visits in your absence.”
“I’ll be sure to visit (again) on my upcoming trip to Chemainus,” wrote another.
“I run by that sign at least 3 times a week,” one comment read. “Every time I pass it, I smile, and it puts pep in my step.”
The community response was nothing short of epic. Coffee Shack received an influx of positive Google reviews and constant messages asking if the cafe had any products for sale with the slogan on it.
Hundreds of comments later, one person online expressed the plans of a lot of people when they said, “I’m going to go there just because of the sign”.
The wave of support from existing and new customers lifted the owners’ spirits.
They’d already been through a lot and, to them, the sign was a reminder of their resilience and determination. It hasn’t always been easy.
The couple's first location in Duncan faced challenges during COVID, leading to its closure.
“When we lost our first location in Duncan, a couple of people were telling us don't stop, keep moving forward,” Bataller said.
They took that advice and opened a new location in Saltair which garnered a loyal base of customers. But the location came with even more challenges. Insufficient snow removal forced most places to close during winter storms, but Coffee Shack was determined to stay open and their customers stumbled through snow banks to reach them. But the main issue they faced was that, despite three years of trying, they were unable to obtain a permit to prepare food in Saltair.
Knowing that they would never be able to draw enough business without a fully operational kitchen, the couple made their second difficult decision to close that location too, losing more than $100,000 of their investment. They had opened a new Langford location in 2021 and decided to focus on making that business a success.
In 2023, they had the opportunity to lease a space in Chemainus Village Square Plaza at 3055 Oak St. and they jumped at the chance.
“We bring in specialty coffee roasters and are committed to high standards. Even the equipment we use is carefully selected to ensure every cup meets our expectations,” said White, referring to their espresso machine made by Nuova Simonelli, a renowned Italian manufacturer of machines celebrated for their exceptional performance.
“Our machine is one of only two in Canada,” added Bataller. “And it’s sitting right here in Chemainus. It’s a source of pride and joy that allows us to deliver coffee at the highest standard.”
After the epic sign drama, they decided to embrace the controversy rather than avoid it. The owners ordered new merchandise which has arrived at the cafe and is for sale now. With stickers, hats, shirts and hoodies, customers can now share their passion for supporting local and doing epic shit.
Regular customers Sherri Beam and her son Mason were first in line to buy shirts. Beam had been following the controversy online.
“When I saw the post criticizing the sign, I thought it was ridiculous,” Beam told the Courier. “With all of the negativity happening in the world around us right now, doing epic shit is the least of our worries. I thought it was a great sign to have up. It's engaging and I encourage everyone to do epic shit!”
“‘Do epic shit’ to me means living life to the fullest. I don't think it's negative at all, I think most of Chemainus and anyone else that has seen the sign feels the same way.”
