hi niantic. are nonstop rejections like this normal..?
it meets all criteria. safe entry, favorite coffee shop, permanent, great place to socialize, the logo is in the photo so its recognizeable and besides if u live in my town u can see the coordinates anyways.
first reason for rejection was it was a coffee chain, (walmart, mcdonalds, starbucks, and verizon all have waypoints. theyre big companies!) also, it wasnt cultural enough?? historical enough? i mean, it used to be a super old bank, and it still has the original vault door inside. it also contained bodyparts. my hand isnt the main focus its the coffee 
second reason was it contained bodyparts. 
so in the third one i cropped it so only my thumb showed idk, i was trying to hide most my hand. i even have a glove on, no skin is showing
now on the third one they just rejected it and didnt give me any reason except that it didnt meet criteria. i feel like im going crazyyy. i cant even appeal
is this normal for making waypoints? maybe im being impatient or something should i keep trying?
theres many people here that dislike any sort of skewed or not well orientated photo. also try taking a photo during daytime.
I wont say anything about your general idea of the wayspot. Personally id submit the original vintage vault door.
Hi @laufeyisthebest
It can be fun to add wayspots to the map, but also challenging. In this case the reviewers and appeal team are fairly clear that a major part of the problem is you holding the coffee cup up in front of the wayspot. While that is popular for instagram and other social media it can be distracting for good clear photos of a wayspot. Additionally it could be considered a āsignatureā of a nominator if done frequently. And all nominations are to be done anonymously.
So I would take a clear and centered photo of the coffee shop to submit with nothing else added.
As far as it being a chain, Iām not personally aware of Biggby Coffee Yum. But the can be accepted if the nominator describes why this location is important to the local community. Also note that some of the companies you mentioned have sponsorships.
Hope this helps!
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Thank you for the idea, I think that will work better. I will try to get a photo of the vault door next time I go, and do at daytime.
I mean, why did you think including your hand and a coffee cup in the picture was a good idea?
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I donāt understand why you are featuring the coffee cup in the photo. That is making a temporary item the focal point, and ātemporaryā is a rejection reason.
This does appear to be a large chain, so would be highly unlikely to get past the āGeneric businessā rejection reason, even with the focus on the sign. From Our Story - BIGGBY COFFEEĀ®
a national coffee franchise with over 450 locations across 13 states.
They all pay for their wayspots through a Niantic sponsorship.
There are many stores, restaurants, and businesses that may seem generic or not notable at first glance, but can be eligible with the proper supporting information.
Generic Businesses
A store that may be considered generic may not hold much cultural importance in larger cities, but these places can function as social hubs in more rural areas. Supporting evidence should be provided that makes a good case for why a seemingly generic business is a great place for the local community to explore or be social so the reviewer can get a better understanding of the importance and vote accordingly.
Restaurants
Restaurants can be great places to be social and great places to explore, and should not be rejected in all cases. Local restaurants and cafes in all areas often have interesting backstories, exceptional menus, or are highly rated places that someone might recommend to an out-of-town visitor.
In more rural areas, a chain restaurant may be an extremely popular local hot spot. Supporting information should make this clear in all instances, and it is helpful to provide links to newspaper articles or reviews, if available.
These are the criteria for submitting and evaluating business proposals. You could suggest this cafe as a place to rest after showing a friend visiting from out of town around your city, but that friend might ask to be taken to a cafe unique to this town. I believe submitting such a cafe would yield better results.
