NY Cake — Local services in New York

Update 10/20/18: So after Jenny, one of the co-owners of NY Cake contacted me about my negative review, I shared with her my concerns stated in the review I previously wrote. She said that she was thankful for the constructive criticism I gave and have spoken to staff and is trying to improve the quality of the atmosphere. She again reached out to me last week (which was about a month or two after we initially exchanged emails) to share that they were having their grand opening this Thursday to Sunday with free give aways and 10% off. I decided to check it out and upon walking in you see a skyline of NYC make with bake ware and there is a bakery!! The area, which I assume is the classroom area (behind the bakery) is pretty nice and actually similar to the kitchens I learned in at Institute of Culinary Ed. It's much bigger and brighter at this new location, definitely not dusty like the old location. I do have to say that upon walking in and seeing the bakery, the worker did greet me and Jenny was actually the first person to ask if I needed help. It's actually nice to see the owner walking around checking out whats in stock and talking to customers. There are things here that I don't see at Kereke's or other bake shops, so I will most likely be back, now that I have actually seen and experienced that the owners do care about their business and what customers think. There is also a calendar of kids classes, which is really pretty cool and Michelle who I believe is the director of the bakery was really nice too and told me they were hiring...its a bit tempting, but I don't think I really have the time. I am leaving this review at 4 stars at the moment, because this is a new beginning, I didn't have much interactions with the actual associates and I want to go back at a later time to see if their customer service improves over time. It is definitely a big leap from 1 star to 4 stars, so I hope that I can edit this review at a later time to give them 5 stars.

I am a home baker who went to a professional baking school and externed for a popular bakery by the name of a famous Chef. I know the pastry chef would always go to NY Cake and Co to purchase items he needed, so I assumed this would be a very good place to shop for my baking needs...not the case...I will share 3 instances in which I was not satisfied with the staff and owner... I took a class there for cake decorating and the room was really tiny and there was an outburst by a customer who was trying to return and item, which the company would not take back because they said it was used....maybe it was, but there must be something really wrong for the customer to be so dissatisfied that you could hear her in the whole store and probably down the block. I was with a friend who was purchasing A LOT! I wasn't feeling so well, I asked if I could use the bathroom, the worker told me there was no bathroom and when I told him I have taken a class there before and knew there was a bathroom, he still did not allow me to use it. As a paying customer (which I have purchased items before), you should just let me use it when I've caught you in your lie...which from the reviews, is obvious they do do that. The last time I went to purchase items I could not find elsewhere, there was a lady who asked for an item and the worker did not know the difference between the shape of a board or a box that she needed. She went to the register and complained that the worker did not know the difference between her asking for something that is a square or a circle and suggested that he should no longer work there if he can't do something as simple as that. After she left I over heard the cashier saying that if Lisa, the owner heard about any of that, she would be furious. I agree with the customer and wanted to make a complaint, but I ended up not doing so. Some time later, I went back with my friend and the guy was still working there, barely...

If I could give 0 stars I would. This place fames itself in being friendly, yet I had the worst experience that I would never expect. Over a month before I needed a cake for an event I went in to the store, hopeful and excited that I would get the perfect cake. I specified materials, colors and expectations and spoke with the owner Lisa Mansour in person, over the phone and via email with specifications on a cake. She was so happy to assist me then and gave me a price for all that I asked for. However, the day of my event the cake was completely not what I expected. Buttercream instead of fondant among other request that was agreed on before making the payment. The employees were no help at all as they said I can just call back the next day so they can fix this error, and I was stuck with a cake for my major event. 4 days later after getting tired of waiting for a response from them, I called 3 times only for them to give me false hope in passing me with Lisa. I spoke with Manager Lester and assistant Michelle, they both assured me Lisa would call within the hour which never happened. A week later she finally calls me stating that she just came from vacation and starts arguing what I was complaining about if I got a 'beautiful cake' which was not the point, I was charged for something that I did not receive. After going back and forth and Lisa even telling me "do you make cakes" told me that I will be receiving a check from them for the difference. I follow up within the hour via email asking how much is the amount I will be receiving in check form them and for my surprise Lisa replied that she would refund me for the difference OF HOW MUCH JUST THEIR FONDANT COSTS (RETAIL PRICE)!!!! Not even adding in labor or any other materials involved to get the fondant to stick to the cake, or the decorations. Not to mention even her math was wrong after sending me charts of how much fondant per inch of cake will be needed. The fact that I had to chase them for over a week to get an answer like that was so unprofessional. I've never met someone so cheap and greedy in my life. Needless to say I contacted the Better Business Bureau. This is not the class of businesses that we need to support.

Update as of 6/24: no resolution has been set up. Owner Lisa Mansour has failed to reply to me and Better Business Bureau on a solution. Please please be aware before placing a cake order or anything else from this place.

If anyone needs to verify this, please go to better business bureau website and look for this establishment. Since there was no resolution (after 2+ months, the review will live there forever due to failure to reply from NY cake.

Disregard comment below from NY Cake, they never sent me a check, and the "check talk" only occured after I corrected their math in refunding me for "fondant" as if that helped solve the problem of a wrong cake. I've trying talking to them, emailing, and so has better business bureau with no response...

At their old location, NY Cake was the place for home bakers and confectioners to get anything they needed. The store was hard to navigate, but the staff were experienced, knew everything about their stock and the production of baked goods and confections, and knew where everything was. The store was a little dark and disorganized, but it didn't matter because the staff was expert.

A few years ago the store moved to its current location on W. 22nd St. It is bright, clean, and (mostly) organized, with a beautiful and pristine open kitchen where they offer a range of classes in pastry and confectionary. The kitchen has also allowed them to offer a variety of in-house produced candies and baked treats. I live nearby, so it is convenient to stop by when I need a cake box or pan.

That's where the good ends. With the move they eliminated many items they used to carry, especially the higher-end products that appeal to serious home bakers. The store is attractive, but the products they do sell are arrayed in ways that make no sense. For example, candy/cupcake boxes are near the back, and some of the inserts for them are next to the boxes they fit. But others are at the other end of the store, where there is no arrangement scheme and the assortment is utterly random. At the old store none of this would have mattered because of the staff's encyclopedic knowledge of their stock, but those staffers have vanished and been replaced with (presumably cheaper) clerks who are almost entirely ignorant about what they sell, the uses of the products, let alone where in the store they are. The ingredients they sell are high in artificial dyes and ingredients, low in flavor and quality. Some products show prices, others do not. More than once I've been told "if you can't find it we don't have it," which isn't helpful given that the placement of items is so irrational. Not once has anyone been able to tell me when they expect to have back in stock an item that is sold out; truthfully, I'm never certain they know what I'm asking about.

I understand they offer mail order; perhaps that is a better option since it saves having to navigate the store. On the other hand, you have to know exactly what you want and be willing to pay shipping. I get almost everything elsewhere these days. Less convenient than having a store in the neighborhood, but far...