The Fresh Pantry — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

Absolutely disgusting service. Following some confusion re: the start of my family’s 2hr booking (our family member who arranged has difficulty with their memory and told us different times) I arrived late. The rest of my family had already ordered and/or eaten thankfully. I was abruptly greeted and told to place my order or i won’t have enough time to eat my food due to a 30min wait. Fair enough! I could see it was busy and was appreciative of the heads up. I Went straight up to order and was again abruptly confronted by the same lady and told I wouldn’t have enough time to eat my food, I could get take away, and reminded the booking was for 7:30….i tried to get a word in and explain I was told 8:30 by my family member to which she cut me off and said- ‘that’s not my fault’. At this point I had no issue. I was still willing to pay for food and get takeaway but after this comment I went and sat down. As I was seated I saw the lady then start talking to another customer, pointing at our table shaking her head, shrugging her arms and audibly saying ‘it was a 2 hour booking’. It was from 7:30-9:30 and it was only 9am at this point. Then I noticed the next booking had arrived at 9:10. We still had 20mins but After their arrival the lady came over and reminded us AGAIN that there was another booking after us. At 9:22 she then came over and started clearing the tables for the next booking whilst we were still sitting there.

I tried to talk to her after we had left and apologised for the confusion re: the booking times but I felt the way I was approached and spoken to was rude and demoralising. The lady flippantly said ‘ I don’t think so you were the one who was rude to me and snapped at me’. Note- another customer in the store overheard the way she spoke to me and asked if I was okay- not great for business image, nor did I mention this to her at the time as this wasn’t the point. I tried to explain to her (again) I was trying to tell her why the booking times were confused but she cut me off. I explained I would’ve been happy to pay for takeaway but her demeanour lost her my business altogether to which she spoke over me again to say ‘your booking was for 7:30’. I said I know and then after asking her to let me finish speaking finally got the chance to share that my family member who did their best to arrange our family get together has difficulty with their memory and got their wires crossed to which she cut me off AGAIN and said ‘well that’s not my problem’. I was flabbergasted. I am the kind of person who gives people the benefit of the doubt. The rest of our table ordered and paid for food so not like she lost business over this (only mine). She said we are a busy cafe and there is a booking after you again and I explained it was only just on 9:30 and it wasn’t OUR fault that the other booking arrived at 9:10 (was starting to think we had been double booked given the urgency to get us out). She didn’t have anything to say when I pointed this out. She then said ‘clearly you’ve never worked in hospitality’ to which I told her I have, hence why I tried to clarify the issue afterwards. she cut me off AGAIN and said ‘yeah, I don’t think so’- like she just had to get the last word in. I walked off at this point as clearly she was not someone who could be reasoned with, nor did she care other customers were sitting there listening to the way she was talking to me. I wouldn’t have gone to the effort to leave this review if she had tried to listen and acknowledged what I was trying to explain.

And for the record- I have worked in hospitality and never would I be so heartless to say ‘not my problem’ when made aware someone with a disability had made a booking error- in fact I’d usually try work around it! I now work in healthcare with people with disabilities and following the blatant disrespect I experienced today, I will ensure none of my clients or broader network step foot in this establishment. You never know what struggles people are going through and it costs nothing to be a kind and decent...

TERRIBLE experience from start to finish! My daughter and I requested a table outside. Instead of letting us sit at one of the many empty tables, the woman working there brought out a small table and plonked it as far away from the restaurant as possible, wedged under a potplant against the wall...meaning one of us had to sit facing a blank white wall. I moved it a few inches away from the potplant so we could sit facing each other and immediately was grumbled at by the woman. Although startled at her complaint I remained very polite, despite her having an aggressive demeanor and clearly not being in a good mood.

After waiting more than 20min for her to take our order I walked next door to look for a quick snack to keep me going, only to come back to find out that the woman finally attended to our table, but not to take our order, rather, she came over only to grumble at my daughter with a complaint that we'll be told to leave if I buy anything from next door.

I calmly approached the woman to clarify that I did not intend on sitting at her table to eat food from next door and that I was only looking to buy something small to keep me going while waiting for our food, but she very rudely said "NO YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED, YOU HAVE TO LEAVE". I tried to make sense of her reasoning by asking "do you mean that we cant eat here even though we're both ordering food from you?" and her response was "NO we're only a small business and we serve drinks" which made absolutely NO sense at all.

In my 40+ years of Cafe-hopping I've NEVER encountered a Cafe that orders you to get up and abandon your plates and LEAVE if found to be in possession of an outside snack! IT GETS WORSE!

Speechless and in disbelief I accepted her unfair terms as I was unwilling to fight with an unruly person who was clearly not a nice person. My daughter and I both calmly picked up our things to walk away but as we walked off I overheard the woman audibly bad-mouthing us to random customers. I walked back to tell her that she was being rude, only for her to get louder and start involving even more customers -who were trying to enjoy their meal- with lies that I was supposedly using her table to only eat a meal from somewhere else, which was completely false!

This was all up a completely offensive and DISGUSTING experience from a very unprofessional woman who is clearly not fit to work in customer service. As a business owner with hundreds of friends and family in the area I will certainly be relating this experience every time the topic of 'Cafe' comes up. WHAT...

Move over, coffee enthusiasts, because 'The Fresh Panty' just raised the barista game to a whole new level! As a humble barista myself, I couldn't resist penning down this love letter to my own workplace.

Let's talk coffee - it's not just a beverage; it's a magical elixir crafted by the coffee gods themselves. At 'The Fresh Panty,' we brew the nectar of life like nobody's business. Sip after sip, your taste buds will embark on a wild dance party, and your tiredness will be swept away faster than a caffeine high.

And oh, our chefs! They're like culinary wizards, waving their wands (or spatulas) and conjuring up dishes that make your tummy do the happy dance. From scrumptious snacks to divine desserts, we've got your cravings covered. You'll find yourself saying, 'I must admit, these chefs are pretty good too' - it's okay; we won't let it get to their heads... much.

'The Fresh Panty' isn't just a cafe; it's a lifestyle. When you walk in, you're greeted with an atmosphere that's fresher than a daisy in spring. You'll be so immersed in the ambiance that you might just believe you've stepped into a parallel fresh universe.

Pro-tip: If you reside within teleporting distance of 'The Fresh Panty,' it's your moral duty to join our ranks of loyal locals. Trust me, once you experience our tantalizing menu, you'll find it harder than a Barista's daily grind to venture elsewhere.

Just a word of caution - 'The Fresh Panty' has become the go-to spot for coffee aficionados and foodies alike. Booking a table, especially on weekends, is highly recommended. We don't want to see any coffee enthusiasts weep in despair if they can't find a spot to savor the goodness.

In conclusion, if you haven't made your way to 'The Fresh Panty' yet, what are you waiting for? Your taste buds will thank you, your belly will thank you, and our fabulous baristas (myself included) will thank you for choosing the freshest, quirkiest, and most delightful cafe...