I was staying at the Sofitel and decided to try the breakfast, so I made a reservation for 10:30 AM. When my boyfriend and I arrived around 10:15, there was already a long line at the hostess stand. By the time we got to the front, it was 10:30. Despite having a reservation, we were asked if we were hotel guests, our name was taken, and we were told to wait off to the side with everyone else. However, the reservation didn't seem to mean much because guests were seated strictly based on where they stood in line. What made this more frustrating was that if you weren't staying at the hotel, you were discouraged from even putting your names down, as the hostess would tell you that everyone waiting was a hotel guest. Once we were finally seated, we were informed that the kitchen was extremely backed up and were encouraged to do the buffet instead. At $29 per person, the buffet was just okay. Several items weren't being refilled (ketchup was empty, potatoes ran out), and service was minimal. We weren't checked on at all, and no one came by to refill our water. Overall, this breakfast is fine if you're using hotel credit, but if you're paying out of pocket, I'd skip it. read more

Stayed at the Sofitel for a staycation! Thanks Chase sapphire benefits! So took full advantage of the free breakfast included in our stay, up to $60 total per day. Unfortunately many of us guests prob had the same perk soooo everyone showed up for breakfast at 10am lol. There was a bit of a line. But staff were soooo friendly about it all. We got in near end of the breakfast service (11am) and thankfully were some of the last to be able to order a la cart. There is a breakfast buffet for $29 pp but I didn't want the buffet at the end of the service. We got the omelette, eggs Benedict and cappuccinos. Food was excellent. Coffee could have been better. Waitstaff were phenomenal. Learning about the international staff Sofitel has from Africa, the Philippines and other countries and how trump's new visa restrictions are affecting them is very sad. A lot of them are going to be unable to work in the US, since who can afford $100K for the visa? Be nice to your waitstaff ya'll, you never know what they're all going through as they try to give you the best service. read more

CHEZ COLETTE - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Group of 8 with vouchers had a delightful time! Without the voucher though my rating would be much lower due to price but with the voucher is was very worthwhile. That said, our experience was great. Choice of tea and delightful tower of eats. I was impressed with the foods, very delicious. Particularly the middle and lower plate (the entree and dessert sections). It doesn't look like much but everyone was full and couldn't finish. read more

CHEZ COLETTE - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I came for breakfast and the service was amazing. I was seated in a very large comfortable booth. I ordered the Croquet madam with a cappuccino and the food is great. They also had a buffet menu if you do want to have a wide range of selections to choose from. Definitely recommend you trying it you're around the area. read more

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Very disappointing. Not like a Sofitel at all. Called ahead of time to inquire about tea service, availability, whether it required a reservation and was told yes. Showed up, there is no front desk. It's been moved to the 2nd floor and the 2nd floor has the signs... to go to the second floor. Asked a woman in a suit for directions and she walks me to the restaurant also under the impression there is a tea service. But there isn't. Nobody except the woman at the restaurant seems to know what is going on. This place isn't what it used to be. The expected level of quality from the brand was definitely not met. This hotel and its restaurant just fell off my go to list whether here or while on travel. read more

The omelet was so good that I didn't even take a picture of the meal lol I loved its DIY - you can select any or all ingredients. The eggs are perfectly cooked ... melts in your mouth. Also a lot of class in their service. I feel bad missing one guest but still got the attention. The only suggestion is to play some background music to match with the atmosphere read more

CHEZ COLETTE - Pinot Grigio - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The a la carte breakfast is great and filling - definitely a place to try if you're staying at the Sofitel. We stayed at the Sofitel for 3 days and were excited to have a go-to breakfast spot. The restaurant is located in the back of the lobby of the restaurant. I'll have to say, we were both satisfied but underwhelmed. At first glance, the seating seems a bit too close together to other groups but nothing major. There's enough seating for big parties and wait times are short (10 - 20 min). The look of the establishment is classy but casual, and the staff is friendly. For a 4 star hotel, however, I was expecting more class and better service. The staff was all very friendly and informative, but they lacked the etiquette that you would expect from an upper-tier restaurant. Just to name a few: Forgotten drink, basic explanation of the food when asked, and use of cheap table covers (ours was dirty on the corner for one meal). Outside of those minor imperfections, the rest of the experience was great. The food was tasty and filling. We tried the omelet, crab cake egg's benedict, and the croque-madame, which were all good. Better than imagined. In our opinion, the crab cake egg's benedict is the best and it comes with chorizo sausage, which was a spicy and pleasant surprise. All these dishes came with frites. No issues there. We didn't try the drinks but the orange juice seemed fresh-squeezed. We didn't try the buffet, though we don't think much is to be missed as it looks like your normal concoction of breakfast meats, eggs, yogurts, and pastries. Overall, great place especially if breakfast is complimentarily included. Don't expect world-class service and you should be fine. read more

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Very slow service, below average food, typical hotel ambiance, and vibe. As far as hotel restaurants go, definitely below the standard of Sofitel. Sofitel can and should do so much better read more

If you have low standards, you'll love it here. The hotel is under construction and you won't know til you get there. Had a 1215 reservation and they didn't even open the doors until 1pm. Not sure why they even allowed reservations before 1. No apology from anyone about the wait. I thought the food would atleast make up for it and the tea sandwiches were disgusting and fruit flies were all over. The staff is nice but obviously upper management doesn't care about anything. The valet is so under staffed some people waited 30 minutes for their car to pull up. read more

Five star friendliness, and two star food. We went for breakfast today - overcooked eggs, very mediocre pastries, in a place that bills itself as French-like, no less! Good thing, I guess, that our Sofitel room rate doesn't include breakfast, so we'll head somewhere else tomorrow. The restaurant folks here aren't trying hard enough. read more

Save your money and DO NOT choose Chez Colette for Afternoon Tea. Such a terrible disappointment. We thought at the price and location that this would be a special place for a celebratory afternoon tea. Quite the opposite. The sandwiches were clearly old and had been left out uncovered so the bread was dry and the salmon was getting crusted over. Only three sweets when four were on the menu. Two little bricks for scones. Had to ask a few times to get any jam or butter or honey for the tea. Where were the servers? We had to get up to find them. Terrible food. Terrible service. But mostly such a disappointment for the special event we had planned. And there goes all that money we had saved for this. Will go back to Taste of Britain next year. read more

They really try to go for a fancy/European vibe, but to be honest it was a breakfast buffet and felt very much like a breakfast buffet place (but pricier) ): Got a bagel with cream cheese which was meh, but the buffet didn't look super appetizing so me and my friend skipped on that. One plus is that the waiter was extremely nice! read more

Amazing breakfast very filling and tasty. I ordered the Sofitel breakfast which the menu listed two eggs it seemed like more that two eggs. Frites are great. Good European coffee as well. We were a table of 12 and it was a Friday morning the restaurant was busy. The server forgot a side and drink. Also 6 of us were served and the other 6 had a bit of a wait. read more

CHEZ COLETTE - Sofitel breakfast. - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I took my 10 year old daughter for afternoon tea for my birthday. I had purchased an amazing deal through Travel Zoo. I've stayed at the Sofitel a couple of times for work, but the Chez Colette I believe was located upstairs while they were renovating a few years back. Chez Colette is a bright large restaurant inside the Sofitel. It was a slow afternoon and we had a reservation at 3pm. We were promptly seated and given the box of tea to choose from. I went with an early grey and my daughter went with someone more fruity. They also brought out my glass of champagne, the 10 year old abstained. Soon the tea was delivered along with the lemon curd and clotted cream. We sipped on our tea and enjoyed some mommy/daughter time. Quickly the food arrived. On the top were plain and cranberry scones, still warm. The 2nd plate had the petit sandwiches what were turkey, a smoked salmon wrap with herbed cream cheese and thinly sliced cucumber, and an egg salad. All were delightful. The bottom were what my daughter really loves, mini desserts. They were perfect and not overly sweet. The profiteroles were amazing. We had a lovely time. read more

Came here with a party of four for tea time with a travelzoo promo. The place was inside a hotel on the first floor which was easy to find. The service was great and the atmosphere was decent. It came with a mimosa or champagne which was great! The food was eh though... everything was bite size and some of the stuff did not taste good. I did not like any of the sandwiches and the scones were just not what I expected. The bread was obviously stale which we all agreed on. Each person got a fancy teapot but it was mostly filled with tea leaves and you probably got about three cups out of the pot. They didn't give us a tea warmer so the tea got cold quick. The bathrooms are on the second floor. Overall, go elsewhere if you want a good tea time experience, you'll be a bit disappointed here. read more

Another great Thanksgiving buffet at Sofitel's Chez Colette. It was pretty much the same menu as in 2019 (the last time we celebrated Thanksgiving). This time we were just 2 but we had a ball. No cooking or cleaning just blissful enjoyment of the most amazing homage to Thanksgiving as only the French can do it! Highlights included the best sweet potatoes I've ever had as well as delicious, moist turkey - no need for gravy (at my cousin's place you need the gravy to compensate for the very dry turkey "jerky"). But have the gravy anyway just because it's delicious. I can't decide which dressing I loved more - the cornbread or the herb bread. You couldn't go wrong with either one. The roast prime rib was divine as were all of the accompaniments. The seafood bar was fresher than fresh and my sister loved the truffle Mac n cheese. I loved the grilled vegetables - I'd the asparagus and grilled onions. Sister dear loved the Brussels sprouts.we both loved the caramel apple pie with streusel topping and pumpkin torte. We also enjoyed the little caramel chocolate mousse "shots" and en the real Champagne was a nice touch. Staff were friendly and extremely busy. My sister said the fruit was sweet. I didn't want to overdo it like last time. So I only went to the buffet once and didn't look back at what I missed. There were a variety of cheeses, salads and fruit accompaniments. My sister said it was better than 2019. I think both years were amazing! No need to go back to cooking not as long as Chez C continues to serve Thanksgiving buffet oh and nothing was over salted and I wasn't thirsty afterwards so there was nothing added that shouldn't have been there - get my drift? It's $80/person with a complimentary glass of champagne. My one criticism - coffee was extra ($6) and it was not a fresh pot! I'll still go back next year for sure. read more

Excellent breakfast. The restaurant offer buffet style or a la carte breakfast. We selected a la carte breakfast. My husband ordered the blueberry pancakes, I ordered an omelet. Both dishes were nicely presented and very tasty. Waiting for breakfast we got warm croissant. Service was also great. read more

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Diner here for a large business meeting left me with lowered expectations as mass cooking can really reduce food quality. Such was not the case here. My meal consisted of filet mignon with sea bass, baby carrots and green beans with a purple mashed potato side. The filet was excellently cooked with a tender texture, a nice crust and great flavor. The gravy on top was tasty but did not add exceptionally to the filet. The sea bass was flakey excellence. The proteins were 5-star. The vegetables were 4-4.5 while the purple mashed potato item was more a 3. Since this was a large company event, servers were plentiful and service was very good. This hotel restaurant is in downtown Philidelphia, and parking is a nightmare. I would need to stay at the hotel or take a taxi to return. Hopefully, I will be able to visit here again soon. read more

CHEZ COLETTE - Filet Mignon with Sea Bass - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This restaurant was across the street from our hotel. It looked promising. We were quickly seated and our waiter, Ben, quickly took our order. The orange juice tasted like it was fresh squeezed. My add Ins for my omelette were placed in the center of a folded over omelette. There were a lot of add ins and it was just thrown in there. The menu lists the add in options. One of the options is bacon but no mention is made that the bacon is an additional fee. Not that I wouldn't have gotten it but it would have been nice to have been made aware of this up charge. Dh had pancakes that were good. With so many restaurant options for breakfast I don't think I will be coming back for their $50 breakfast. read more

Finally got to return to Philly and Chez Colette in the Sofitel hotel near Rittenhouse Square. They are open at 7 for breakfast which is a rarity and the quality of the food and especially the staff is stellar. Our server Esther is a gem (she's been there 6 years!) and her colleague, a super friendly and outgoing gentleman from Djibouti Africa who's name I forgot to ask is fantastic as well. Highly recommended! read more

If you are looking for an excellent holiday buffet experience, this nicely run restaurant is a great choice. The lovely wife and I enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal there yesterday and we had a fine time. We expected that as this was our third visit here. An OBSERVATION- This will be the 19th review for these folks. Of these 19, five are from Yelp Elites (including mine) and they are all 4 stars. There a few other reviews from much less experienced Yelpers that have lower ratings. Take from that what you will. So we made our reservation on OpenTable and were seated immediately. Our waiter was Berkley and he was exceptional throughout or visit. He was the perfect level of attentiveness. He served our drinks with class. He folded our napkins whenever we left the table. He ensured our plates were cleared efficiently. Overall we felt well cared for. This is a relatively large restaurant and the atmosphere is bright and airy. Seating is comfortable. The walls are covered with French posters. The background music was perfect. The noise level is average or even a little less. Yesterday's buffet was $52. This is typical for a high-end holiday buffet in Philadelphia. For that price you should have substantial expectations and ours were met here. We began with a delicious pumpkin, butternut squash bisque. Next we sampled from a nice selection of breads and cheeses. There were several salads available including a wonderful spinach salad with Bosc pears. Entrees were plentiful for both the carnivore and seafood lover. There was hand carved turkey with all the fixings. There was a butter tender beef tenderloin. Shrimp cocktails accompanied by bloody Mary shots. Oysters on the half shell. Two types of salmon and other assorted fish. Of course you could choose from numerous veges. There was a carrot dish that included orange, white and back varieties that was crazy good. Assuming you had room there was a desert table with about a dozen items. All the choices were cut into very small portions so you could do a sampler plate with ODing on sugar. If your lifestyle includes this type of holiday meal, you should keep these folks in mind. read more

We came here for Thanksgiving dinner and it was wonderful. It was a buffet style so I was not sure what to expect, but honestly there was not one thing that wasn't good. Our server Joann was very attentive and pleasant. Immpecable service by everyone I encountered. We are looking forward to coming back after the holidays for dinner. read more

Ellen - the lunch-time bartender (who also served our lovely lunch) is terrific and has been here for years. I enjoyed the new "spa" menu - and had the $21 3 course lunch - a delightful tomato soup with ginger and lime, a small portion of artic char (like salmon) over beans and oven roasted tomatoes (super juicy and cooked perfectly) and a lo-cal mokha meringue with fruit compote. (OK - not awesome). A pleasure to dine in the BAR AREA. Nice and quiet. read more

Since the Sofitel is my favorite hotel in Philadelphia (and I've literally stayed everywhere: The Ritz, The Rittenhouse, Westin, etc), Chez Colette adds the cherry on top of the cake. The dining room has quaint french posters, a super attentive staff, a fresh french press coffee pot as soon as you sit down, and great food. You really can't go wrong for breakfast - french toast croque madam, eggs / potatoes / tomatoes with a croissant, scrambled eggs with dijon in a puff pastry, etc. read more

CHEZ COLETTE - French Toast Croque Madam - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Disappointing. Came here for breakfast expecting authentic french cuisine or something close to it. Instead I got a "lobster" omelette that was actually just scrambled eggs in omelette form, with a tiny bit of lobster thrown in. When I say tiny, I mean you could fit it all in a thimble. Meanwhile, the gelatinous mountain of unflavored, poorly seasoned yellow fluff that they call 'eggs' tasted like it was from the same carton of eggs they used to make them in prison cafeterias. The bread, usually the highlight of any french meal, was stale and boring. The fruit parfait had cornflakes in it. In my opinion, the only thing corn flakes belong in is a bowl of corn flakes. I expected more from this place that your typical breakfast buffet style meal. The whole experience lowers the brand of Sofitel. I won't be eating here again. read more

Just finished breakfast over there. I had the scrambled eggs in a puff pastry. It was excellent. One friend had the egg sandwich -- he said it was fantastic. And the French press coffee and fresh-squeezed OJ....excellent. Breakfast is $15/person there. Not cheap, but a really great price/value. read more

On a whim, my boyfriend and I decided to stay at a hotel in the city... even though I lived 3-4 blocks away. I even did valet! Yeah, I DROVE to Sofitel because I was too lazy to walk a couple of blocks. This restaurant looked very fancy schmancy and was just about empty. My boyfriend had a mohawk and was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I was wearing a shirt and jeans so we both were super casual. I guess they were slow enough to not care. Our server was very accommodating and gracious, so much that I felt foolish that we arrived in inappropriate attire. But whatever because we are giving them money. He ordered the filet mignon and I ordered the salmon dish (or some other dish, but it was definitely fish). The dinner was tasty, the portions were small and the presentation was appealing. Of course the restaurant isn't so cheap but that's to be expected. Overall, it was a mediocre experience from about 2 years ago. I wasn't blown away by the food but I wasn't disappointed. read more

Food was delicious. I am French and this is French food by my standards. Staff is polite and pleasant wish it was a tad cheaper. Dining room is large and comfortable, allowing enough privacy so you don't have to feel that you are sitting with the guests next to you when you are not.. read more

I was there not too long ago for a special event. One would think that if they were having a sold-out special event that could potentially introduce a large group of people to their establishment they would step up their game a little bit. It was a terrible experience. I don't think I'll ever go back. I waited for about 20 minutes for any service whatsoever. Finally being impatient, we asked someone if we could see a server. About 20 minutes later after checking in with this person a number of times we got a server and placed our order. And about 20 minutes after that we got our order. And of course when I got my drink it wasn't exactly what I ordered. But it was close enough so I dealt with it. (I wasn't going to wait another 20 minutes to find a server and wait for another drink--the show would have been over). I had ordered a margherita pizza--which, by the way isn't really French. This was no margherita pizza It was the kind of doughy pizza with cheap cheese that you got at your elementary school cafeteria but with one little bit of basil on top. My friends "cheesesteak rolls"--also not French--tasted as though they were bought in a supermarket frozen food aisle. Well that very not French, not very good food gave us food poisoning. We were both sick for days--I fared much worse than she did. In addition to that we had requested separate checks from the very beginning which of course we didn't get and had to wait for them to re-do the check. And are they really trying to be French? The food wasn't very French and the servers (when we saw them--which was rarely) kept saying little French things like "merci" and "bon jeuer" but kind of half-assed the way that customer service people on the phone are forced to say things like "it is my pleasure to help you today." I did go to the bar to get another drink because I certainly wasn't going to wait for the server. I paid in cash and was surprised to see they got my change out of a metal box behind the bar. No cash register. Is that how French people do it? God, I hated this place. read more

I had a lunch interview here a while back - not my or by choice. Still, I'm down with French food, and I was rockin' on somebody else's dime, so why not? I was really unimpressed. Despite the beautiful hotel lobby and interesting choice for Sofitel's restaurant, guests and diners should think twice - especially with better French spots in Philly. The atmosphere is clean, tidy, classy. The staff is stereo-typical (think Ferris Bueller's Day Off's "Chez Paul" toned down a little). I had some prune or date salad with a house vinigarette. The dressing was proper, the salad and price wasn't. Granted, this was lunch. Still, I expected more, and after noting my company's displeasure with their food as well, I wrote this place off from jump street. read more

Went for restaurant week and it was only half full - should have been a sign. The staff was very nice. The atmosphere was so-so. Pretty open space made it feel even more empty. The food was decent. I had the goat cheese salad which was very mustardy. I tried a vegetable pastilla which was ok - I wasnt sure what to expect. My friend had the salmon which looked good though. For dessert it was 3 mini ones - none of which were great. read more

We decided to try the Sofitel's Thanksgiving Dinner. We never had eaten out for Thanksgiving but without family around this Thanksgiving, we decided to ditch the messy prep and clean up and go out for a nice Thanksgiving feast. Food: 4.0 stars The food at Chez Colette's Thanksgiving buffet was great. They seemed to have issues with supplies, running out of crab cakes-- then bringing out scallops and shrimp--- and then running out of those and bringing back (magically) crab cakes. We started with a meat and cheese platter, went to a seafood appetizer of oysters, shrimp, and crab, had a main course of turkey, prime rib, scallops and ended with a delicious variety of desserts. The meal was delicious and satisfying. Location: 4.0 stars Its great when you can walk right to your destination and walk back home (slowly on a full stomach); Located in the back of the Sofitel Hotel Ambiance: 3.0 stars The restaurant is ok. I'm not sure exactly how they're were trying to capture the French vibe. The restaurant is open and large but strangely the vibe in the place on Thanksgiving was just sad. Having never eaten out before on Thanksgiving, it seems like everyone was depressed that they weren't at home around loved ones. It was like everyone felt less loved and cared for. Weird... Price: 3.0 stars The meal was $45 per person. With drinks and tip included (I'll address that in a bit), the total came out to $75 per person. Service: Atrocious Chez Colette should be ashamed at the level of service provided, especially if they consider themselves a high end restaurant. I wasn't sure who were servers and who were bussers. Plates were cleared late, napkins were never refolded, there was no one at the buffet (which was outside the restaurant in the end of the hotel hallway) to make sure food was always stocked and people were getting what they wanted. I really think they brought people in to work the day. I can't imagine these people work at the Sofitel on a daily basis. If they do.... Whoa, they need to rethink their careers. Service just sucked! **Overall: 2.5 stars The meal was great. No doubt a place like the Sofitel will bring in the best ingredients/meats/etc. The preparation was alright. The service and the vibe was terrible. I won't be back for any meal. I was satisfied for Thanksgiving but still.... Not recommended overall. Try again Sofitel. read more

Unorganized mess! Tried to eat here for breakfast on a Sunday morning. Was staying at the Sofitel & had 45 minutes before having to leave for airport. Waited 5 minutes to be seated, just one group ahead of us in a half full restaurant. Service was very slow, took another 10 before we ordered. My brother wisely ordered the buffet, I choose an a la carte option. Had to ask for napkins, because they were never provided. After 20 minutes and no food, I asked the server what was going on. He said the cooks got busy and forgot my breakfast. My breakfast made it to me just as we decided to leave, took a quick few bites and left. They took a lot off the bill, but at the end I left without eating breakfast. Never again! read more

Un tres bon restaurant! Pour avoir testé le buffet brunch le matin, je recommande vivement. les produits sont variés et frais et le service est impeccable: souriant, efficace et gentils. On retrouve toutes les saveurs françaises. A very good restaurant! After to try the buffet brunch on the morning, I definitely recommand it. Products are fresh an various and the service is perfect. We retry french flavors. read more

without a doubt - the absolute worst meal we've had in ages. i just got back from there and had to vent right away. i will come back and explain in detail when i've calmed a little. overall... crap. garbage. wedding food. there's nothing 'french' about this place. frites? please... they were nothing but burger king fries. anyone who liked this place should list all of the other places they like so we can avoid them. read more

I had high tea at chez colette. Both of us got sick within 10 minute of leaving the restaurant. They seemed short staffed and the waiter was quite nervous and did note check in with us to see how we were doing. I woudl not recommend this place for tea. Had been there for breakfast before, which was lovely, a bit overpriced but good quality. read more

I generally avoid hotel restaurants but I made an exception for Chez Colette, since Gayot gave it such a nice review. We weren't even staying at the Sofitel, but popped in for dinner. There were 3 other tables, so we had the dining room to ourselves. That's usually a warning sign! My hubby enjoyed his salad while I tucked into a wonderful vegetable/scallop tart- grilled sea scallops with soy & sesames, zucchini, tomatoes, onion, herbs on a flat dough. Our entrees were good but it's that appetizer that sticks out in my mind. We skipped dessert (no room) but spied a table nearby getting 4 different orders that looked good. read more

My favorite hotel breakfast. The weekend buffet is amazing and the service is always fantastic. I've also tried it during the week for ala cart and it was still superb. read more

I was really excited to try out this cute place. It was the only place open in the morning so we marched in and got seated right away. The location is great and its walking distance to all the shopping in Philly. I got the eggs benedict and it was delicious. Our waitress was really attentive and we all really enjoyed our meal. I will go back! read more

Walked in their as a convenient place to eat from where we are staying. It was pretty quiet so service was good. Had a cool tasty Pinot Grigio while we chatted a bit. Got a few entrees - Rib eye and Filet Mignon - all done to order - along with a half roast chicken - a touch soaked in butter. All round pretty good. The one caveat is - a couple sat at the table next to us - didnt order and walked out. We didnt pay too much attention at the time but we realised after that her bag had been interfered with - cards and money stolen. Not great considering the place was empty. read more