AITBF for leaving an honest google review?
Yesterday we decided to have a casual brunch as a way to meet my brother's partner's family for the first time. We chose a local cafe because they have really good vegan options for me, and in the past have been great. However, once we got there, I was disapointed to see they completely changed their menu. They didn't have a single option on there for me. But living in a small town, I'm very used to this (demand must not be there for these options). I was just disappointed because this cafe was previously one of my favourites!
I wrote a google review along the lines of "The new menu has a V label at the bottom, but not a single vegan option. I'm really disappointed because the options here used to be great :( ".
Meanwhile, my mum went to the counter and asked them if any of their options COULD be adjusted, and they said yes, but only a few items on the menu like avocado toast and mushroom toast. I'm not really a savoury breakfast person, so I decided on just a black coffee.
Everyone else ordered their food and it was fine, next thing you know, three of the staff members come out of the kitchen. The man (who I'm assuming is the cook) announced how "anything on the menu I will make vegan for you" and at first, I thought they were just being nice after what my mum asked at the counter.
The other staff members were stressing, and then in a really confrontational tone, she loudly said "was it you who wrote the review? About the vegan options? Did you write it?"
I cannot even begin to express just how awkward and completely humiliating this was. The entire cafe went silent and stared at me like I'd just committed some really disturbing crime. I'm a VERY quiet and nonconfrontational person, and I was so in shock I couldn't even respond. My mum ended up answering for me, and then they pressured me to delete it and change it if the chef made me whatever I wanted on the menu.
Again, I can't stress enough just how embarrassing this was. Not to mention the fact that the people I was sitting with hardly know me, now this is their first impression of me. I can't stop thinking about it.
I didn't end up ordering anything, because with their tone and the way they went about it, I couldn't even be sure i could to trust anything they prepared for me (i'm weird with food). I told them I deleted the review, and I did, but once I went home, I replaced it with a longer one describing this whole experience.
I can't stop thinking about this. I feel SO embarrassed.