02/12/2024
Heads up! I ate at a breakfast place this morning that gave me food poisoning. Everything they served me was lacking quality and freshness. I ordered french toast with banana and macadamia nuts. The nuts had gone rancid, the bananas weren’t just over ripe they had started to turn black and the bread had an undertone of being stale. Really? Yes, really!
The manager came over and stated her apologies and that I was correct that all the food had started to turn and that the nuts were the last at a bottom of a bag, but that they started a fresh bag. Asked if I wanted any thing else and I responded “No!” The waitress kept pushing, so I asked for an orange juice. It was sour and the worst orange juice I have ever tasted with an after taste of petrol. I gave up trying to return it, but realized they had every opportunity to create a great customer experience, but instead blew it on all levels.
As a manager I would have immediately fired the head chef and had my backup take over. It is the chef’s job to oversee food inventory and taste for quality. They are supposed to do this an hour or two before the restuarant opens to serve the public. Sometimes owners and managers hire people that fit the profile part they are looking for, but there are subversive anti-social types that simply don’t care if they are undermining to one’s business. They feel empowered by doing the opposite from the directions and requests given. They don’t care if they are hurting the owner’s business nor giving customers bad experiences. It makes them feel good to destroy other people’s hard work.
These types of people are psychologically messed up, so, especially in food service, once you see a trend starting in the wrong direction, you must recognize it and fire that person asap! If allowed to continue not only will their lack of care impact the owner, management and guests adversely, but it will wear down the staff morale. Owners along with their teams typically go under and lose the business once that has happened.
Below is a photo of a delicious carrot cake enjoyed at a different cafe. I love baking cakes and other bakery treats plus blend teas, but I also enjoy tasting others. 😋😋
