After years of patronizing Noble Coffee Roasters to great satisfaction, visits over recent months have been decidedly lackluster. An unfortunate incident with the manager on 10/2 -- unpleasant enough to prompt this poor review-- occurred after I requested soap for the men's room, whereat there was none, nor trace: I quietly mentioned this to the bespectacled "manager" Evan and was told, "Sorry, the dispenser was stolen yesterday," while he wore an annoyed smirk at the temerity of its asking. I obviously wasn't the first to be a nuisance. Any alternative available? He repeated the mention of the great caper of yesterday, more firmly, amping up the attitude as if I wasn't getting it, and as if it were a valid excuse. After the encounter another patron who overheard his replies thanked me and she mentioned leaving a review.
Let's lay aside the revelatory revulsion of significant food/beverage prep happening onsite without the men's room having any hand-soap since "yesterday," and consider the abject rudeness of any reply instead of, "thanks for letting me know, I'll take care of it." He didn't seem to understand the import of food handlers (and hey, customers too) being able to wash their hands after using the toilet (during a pandemic). Instead as if I were just being a nuisance, he identified himself as the manager, and finally told me I could just use the sink in the ladies' room, which was busy enough without diverting all of Saturday's clients and staff past its own sink. And Evan, the staff waiting to get back to the kitchen sink to wash risks cross-contamination along the way.
By mid-afternoon on any weekday, as if waiting till closing to deal with it, the condiment/creamer table is messy and in need of all supplies. Often the cook is running food to tables, tickets are backing-up while this happens, and just as often it's bc nobody is poking their head back there to see about pitching-in: The emphasis remains on supporting the most mundane front-counter tasks. Mornings start sharp, and it's steady diminishment from there.
On any day, the two most mercilessly busy people are always the person working the register, and the griddle cook. The rest are bouncing inefficiently off each other around the cappuccino/espresso maker. Same staff count, but this ever-busy cafe used to run like a Ferrari and is now a joke. Staff seem to be waiting to be told what to do, and no one's telling.
*Retrain that manager who shamelessly thinks that not providing soap is okay in a public restroom, whatever the reason. I've not seen this guy take a step-back and assess how well (or not) the staff is running at any time now that he's identified himself as in-charge. The smallest bump at the door and they're instantly in the weeds. There's no sense that improving the customer experience is the goal. Consequently, the cheekiness seems plastic. And yet there are terrific, friendly associates on the team. Please promote them.
*Never allow the overwhelmed cook to run food out into the dining area unless there is absolutely no one to do so: Aside from the increased risk of cross-contamination, in the real world there's always a follow-up request that stretches the time-sink away from their job, requiring a return/re-visit more appropriate for a runner (i.e., may I have ketchup?). There is always help, though they're oblivious of the grill cook's need--because no one is talking about help with each other! Get a desk bell pronto. No one seems to be asking each other for help...
*Person working the register should be expected to direct the counter help as the main expeditor. Instead the help they receive while taking customer orders is ad hoc and just inefficient (see last bullet).
*Have a clear punch list of tasks during downtime. Institute an hourly audit of the condiment area. It's often depleted and unappetizing.
*Larger-sized black teas get a single tea bag, and all that gets upped is the hot water volume. So that's what you pay the larger premium for, more hot water. Really? Throw an extra tea bag in there so you're not serving insipid tea.
I understand staff shortages, but having patronized NCR's for 3 years now on a near-daily basis, I notice the same head count is still there, but the new faces lack the same devotion to superior customer service that the place had in the past, and it definitely shows. read more