Kettlemans Bagel — Restaurant in Ottawa

As an Uber driver I’m always in and out of kettlemans and I’ve never had the chance to look around and discover your products. Tonight I had a disturbing experience when one of the employees at the front cash refused to tell me what options of cream cheese you carried even with me being the only customer in the entire store. I informed him it’s my first time and his response was that people usually know what they want. This was not acceptable in my opinion because I’ve worked in customer service and your getting paid to make your customer happy so they come back. After informing him that he was extremely rude in his mannerisms and interaction to me I almost walked out after he bickered with me for a couple mins and made me feel irrelevant and stupid for the fact that I didn’t know what I wanted. Instead the situation was diffused by Damon who was fully occupied rolling bagels ... after gaining a report with me earlier as he smiled as I entered and answered questions I had about how many bagels were made a day. I really hope he is the night shift manager .. he he’s not he needs to be put up front to interact with people. Within 5 mins I was calmed and chose not to leave. He gave me options and even showed me the chest full of cream cheese .. my mind was blown from all the choices. There would have been no issue if I was directed to this fridge in the beginning. He was absolutely wonderful and changed my whole mood while at the same time making excuse for his coworker without making me feel belittled as I felt before.in my opinion this was respectable and showed what a honorable person he is and his commitment to not only me as a customer but to his team as well. The situation was handled swiftly and even front store staff was changed to my pleasant surprise when I went to order. Thanks again Damon ! Im absolutely obsessed with the dill pickle cream cheese you suggested !! Your wonderful and I appreciate your efforts...

Bagels are amazing, cleanliness spot on! My only complaint is the asking for a tip during purchase.

I worked as a server for 10 years in a variety of places in Toronto. At the time minimum wage as a server was dollars less than standard minimum wage. You had to really husstle to get tips to pay your bills and rent.

From changing ashtrays, being in the weeds with a ton of tables, making change when a party of 10 wanted separate bills and all gave a $20 (no tap in the year 2001), using manual credit card machines, PLU CODES! :)

Working in the industry was super fun, but hustling for a living was not.

So now here I go to kettlemans for the first time. The person behind the cash was very friendly and helpful. Good service... Until I went to pay.

The cc machine asked for 15% 20% etc. A tip to ring in an order, and bag some bagels? Nope sorry. Well after the person behind the cash saw there was no tip? Full stop. Friendly personality... gone. A firm look of annoyance.

Honestly this asking (manipulating) for a tip for ordering or purchasing an item is getting out if hand. In order to just pay your total, you have to go through hoops on the machine.

I won't go back knowing they expect me to pay 15% + on top of the costs, or else I get judgement etc. I really blame the mgmt of kettlemans. They are the ones who program the cc machine. These young employees are now expecting a tip for every purchase... Even buying a small container of cream cheese!

I'm sure others feel the same, this constant asking for money?

Again, service industry and hospitality girl here, but this is insane. The other day as well, I bought a drink at a takeaway sub shop and it was asking for 20%, 30% and yup 40% for handing me a bottle of pop?

Just my two cents

Ps please pay 15% to my account for reading this review.... Writer's...

Kettleman's is one of my favourite places to go for a late night snack. I've been a fan of them since way back, when they still had a location in Orleans. I'm even happier they have a location that's only a 5min drive away from my now!

Their bagels are just delicious. They have a nice bite to them without being overly chewy and I enjoy knowing each batch has been made fresh daily. They have a really wide assortment from savory to sweet that can come with a variety of toppings. You can stick with butter or add cream cheese. If you want a real meal then opt for a bagel sandwich. My go to is the smoked salmon on a garlic bagel. Will you need gum after? Yes. Will you regret getting one? No. I've also had their chocolate cream cheese on a chocolate bagel. Very yummy for those that have a sweet tooth or kids would love it!

Décor inside is modern and spacious, has an industrial feel with plenty of seating to find. When I've gone late at night, I've seen some students working away. Staff have always been friendly and I haven't encountered any problems when I've ordered. Kettleman's is a must in Ottawa and for a great price too. Bagel and cream cheese will cost you under $4. It's also open 24/7, so don't miss out on this...