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Shiny steel coffee bar kiosk outside the Macy's men's store, this used to be the independent Giacomo Coffee Bar until the summer of 2008 when they sold it to a Peet's franchiser, jacked up the prices, and served weaker espresso. Alongside the bar are several metal sidewalk café tables - all facing the motherstore across Stockton St. They cater largely to tourists and local businesspeople alike. It's operated much like the kind of franchise Peet's licensee you'd find at an airport: no Peet's cards are recognized, and they use a superautomatic single-group Schaerer. Considering the superautomatic origins, the shot is surprisingly decent-looking in a small paper cup: a fuller, even, medium brown crema. The crema thins out relatively quickly, however, and the flavor is more of a tobacco smokiness with a slightly bitter edge. Yet another loss in quality chalked up to large corporate coffee.
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