I never thought I’d have to write this, as Feast Café has been a favorite of my family’s for over a year. We’ve been loyal customers (7 of us), visiting once or twice a week, and my sister’s family has been going for even longer. The wait staff has always been warm and welcoming, and we’ve spent a lot of time and money here. However, after a deeply upsetting and intimidating encounter with the owner and chef, Lewis, we will never return.
On our most recent visit, my 70-year-old mother, my sister, and I sat down as usual. Moments later, Lewis—who is about 6’5”—walked over to our table, towering over us, pointing his finger in our faces, and speaking in an aggressive, raised voice. He accused my mum and me (who were sitting next to each other) of sending food back and declared that he was “morally insulted” by it. And out of the 10’s of thousands of meals he has dished up we are the only two to ever have sent food back. He wanted us to leave and find another cafe because of how insulted he was.
At first, we were so caught off guard, but after a few seconds, it became very clear that he was completely serious. Even though I felt intimidated, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Are you actually serious?”—a question that took a lot of courage to say, given how angry and physically imposing he was. He glared at me without blinking and responded, “I have never been more serious in my life.” He was shaking with anger, bending over my mother and me while pointing his finger in our faces, making the entire situation feel incredibly hostile and frightening.
We were completely shocked and distressed by the confrontation, not just because of how aggressive it was, but also because we could barely recall the incidents he was referring to. Over a year, I’ve ordered the exact same dish every time (it’s become a joke to the staff), and it’s always been the same. My mum remembers once asking for her burger bun to be a little more toasted which was noted on the order docket (because she gets indigestion with soft bread). That is the only instance we can think of as their food and coffee is always incredible - it’s why we always go back.
Despite the awful experience, and standing up to leave shortly after, we decided to stay and order our usual meals because we didn’t want to be intimidated into leaving. It was an awkward and uncomfortable decision but we felt an important one. However, as we were paying, Lewis yelled across the café from the kitchen to add a surcharge to our order. It was sarcastic, rude, and humiliating. The lovely wait staff tried to laugh it off, but by this point, we had completely lost our appetite.
His wife and co-owner, Felicity, came over to speak with us after realising what had happened. She was kind and understanding, telling us he might “cool off” and come to apologise. But the truth is, no apology could make up for how he spoke to us. We couldn’t finish our meals and we left for the last time. We left feeling shaken, emotional, and unwelcome in a place we had once loved.
If this is how a long-standing, loyal family of customers is treated, I can’t imagine how others might be spoken to if they make even the smallest request. No one should have to endure such a public, aggressive outburst over something as simple as sending food back.
This experience was beyond disappointing—it was deeply unsettling. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning, and I would caution others to think twice before supporting a business where the owner thinks it’s acceptable to treat...
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