Zonts Bakehouse — Restaurant in Western Australia

I walked into the pastry shop in a morning few weeks ago, like I do almost every week, expecting the usual—a hot drink to start the day. But today, I walked out with more than just a cup in my hand—I walked out disappointed and disheartened. I had my little one in my arms, just 1.5 years old, and decided to treat us both. I ordered my usual drink and picked up two of their signature pastries, plus a croissant for my child. They packed them separately—one in a paper bag, the others in individual boxes. When I saw how much I had to carry, all while holding my child and a big hot coffee in a mug, I politely asked if I could have a paper bag to hold everything together.

The lady serving me was kind enough to go fetch one, but before she could, another staff member cut in and stopped her. Without looking at me, she said coldly, “It’s 50 cents,” then walked off, leaving me standing there—ignored, burdened, and honestly, a little humiliated.

I had already spent more than I intended. Another 50 cents wouldn’t have mattered. It wasn’t about the money. It was the way I was treated—as if I was asking for too much, as if my struggle to juggle a baby, hot drink, and three pastries didn’t matter.

Their pastries are good. Their coffee too. But today I realised something—passion for food means little when there’s no compassion for people. I probably won’t return. Not because of the charge, but because of the chill I felt that no oven...

Outstanding food, but chaotic service undermines the experience

I want to start by saying the bakery deserves five stars—fresh, flavourful, and clearly crafted with care. Unfortunately, the organisation and service let my first and only experience down significantly.

I placed an online order 24 hours in advance for a 12:00pm pickup. I arrived promptly at 12:03pm, only to find a line stretching out the door. It wasn’t until 12:27pm that I was finally seen. After presenting my order number, I was told one item had sold out but was being freshly prepared. I appreciated the effort, but my full order wasn’t handed over until 12:52pm—nearly an hour after my scheduled collection time.

Before leaving, I asked if all eight items were included. I was assured they were. Yet five minutes down the road, I received a call informing me that two items had been missed. Turning around took another five minutes, and by then, parking was impossible. One redeeming moment: a staff member kindly offered to run the missing items out to me, which I genuinely appreciated.

The lack of workflow and coordination is a real issue. With better systems in place, the service could match the quality of the food. I hope they address this soon—because the kitchen is doing...

Fantastic croissants, with special flavours every month. I love that they've incorporated Asian flavours in their offerings, some of the croissants I have enjoyed include: calamansi, mentaiko, durian, pandan and Sarawak laksa. In fact, if the Sarawak laksa is available, I highly recommend it. It is richly flavoured, generously filled and comes with a little serve of extra gravy to douse the bad boy in.

Tasty eats aside, they also do customer service right. While we were dining in, we had someone (I think the owner?) come over to check in on us and have a little chat. He also checked in on other customers and you can see the easy rapport he has with them.

We also had a flurry of staff rush out to help us when we had a little accident. Adam, in particular was so sweet with our preschooler and was genuinely concerned and empathetic to how upset he was. When we were ordering earlier, he was also extremely patient with him, graciously allowing him the chance to "order" the flavours he wanted.

They're also always welcoming of feedback. Every conversation I've had with them has been a positive experience.

I truly hope this business continues to thrive... even if it might be detrimental to...