Parama Cafe — Restaurant in Edmonton

This place has gone downhill extremely fast. I'm actually disappointed that I won't go to Parama Cafe anymore. I order one simple tea all the time: chai tea latte, yet every worker there makes it differently. This tells me it's a training issue that is leading to incompetent staff. My last straw was yesterday when I was so excited to show the tea to my aunt and cousin. I bought 3 cups of chai tea latte, and the one staff there went ahead and basically made something completely different. The cup was basically foamed milk, then she added a tea bag! I asked her why the tea bag? She said "oh sorry we don't have chai blah blah". Then I inquired further and she brought out the concentrated chai tea liquid and poured into the cup after with the tea bag floating in foamed milk! She straight up just made her own version of chai tea latte. First off, its simple etiquette to tell customers while paying that certain items are missing before they pay. This is how you run a business. You don't charge people money then go ahead and make whatever you want. Secondly, staff seem to be hostile almost the second you arrive. For a place that looks awesome and calming, then you are suddenly met with staff that don't want to be there. It is not what they say, their body language is completely off. They don't need to be smiling and greeting me with hugs, they just need to understand I'm a paying customer and shouting to stand to right side when I'm already heading there is not appropriate customer service. Thirdly, I know management is trying to appeal to young men by hiring female staff pretty much in their pajamas, but I wish they were at least good...

Visited this place few times now. On my last visit, I ordered a coffee and picked up a peperoni sub from the fridge. I was asked if I wanted it to be warmed and said yes. After a relatively long wait (the place was nearly empty) I only got half of the sub. When I asked the lady who served it about the reason, I was told that this is how it's served to customers!!!! Then I asked her again whether I got charged for half the sub or the whole sub, she said I paid for the full one, and I can have the other half if I wanted!!!! After another long with, I received a full sub. This was the most confusing and bizarre experience in a cafe!!!! In response to the owners reply below, your worker never said WHY I there was half a sub. She just presented the plate without saying a single word. Only when I challenged her and asked for an explanation she said that your cafe serve half a sub. I'm afraid your worker is not telling you the truth. Yes she did rectify the issue ONLY after I raised my concerns and then she told me the story about the other half falling on the ground.....You can check the CCTV footage in your cafe to see what went on!!!!!

Anyway I'm not interested in neither a refund nor going back to your cafe again. You should be thankful to the fact that I reported the issue to you as not many customers would be bothered to challenge a poor service!!!!

Just remember that one of the benefits for Google reviews is to give you feedback - nothing personal - on the service provided at your establishment as you weren't there to...

This occurred earlier this year (2023), I believe around late spring. I used to love this place. The desserts were always interesting and ranging from decent to delicious. They have since changed baker and I tried one of their new items; blueberry chocolate tart and I've never had anything as gross as this before. At first I thought I would just eat the cream and blueberries as the tart had an off taste and didn't fit with the rest of the ingredients. But I realized the cream was also weird, as it tasted soapy. That's the first time I have not finished one of their desserts. The young woman (maybe a student) at the cashier took the food back, but didn't offer I get something else. She seemed rather insulted I didn't like it, claiming "it was a big favourite". I don't know that it could have been been a "favourite" since I didn't think the new baker had been there for that long.

I've actually been a food taster in my earlier days and have a good palate, so I stood my ground that the dish tasted off. Seeing that I was receiving a curt service and thought it'd be important to advise the manager, who was out that day, that a soapy taste should be a red flag, I gave her my contact information. She told me I'd be contacted, but have not since. I'm writing an article on restaurant red flags at the moment, and I remembered this instance. I don't normally post bad reviews, but I felt compelled that management ought to know and be careful about the possibility of cleaning supplies being stored near food...