Sharpfle Waffle — Restaurant in Ottawa

If you care about respect and basic human dignity, avoid this place at all costs.

We had a deeply upsetting experience this morning when we tried to enjoy a peaceful breakfast at this establishment. What should have been a calm and pleasant moment turned into an absolutely humiliating and exhausting situation.

The owner behaved in an absurdly disrespectful and condescending manner — completely incompatible with even the most basic standards of hospitality. Instead of handling the situation with maturity, he escalated it unnecessarily out of sheer arrogance, going so far as to threaten to call the police. That’s right: over a trivial matter, he thought it was appropriate to mention the police. Completely unacceptable.

What shocked us the most was the way he spoke directly to my wife — loudly and rudely — in front of a nearby table with about eight people who witnessed the entire scene. They, too, were visibly disturbed and appalled by his tone and behavior. It was an embarrassing, shameful moment — not just for us, but for everyone around, many of whom expressed support and said they would also be leaving negative reviews.

The situation left us feeling disgusted and completely uncomfortable. We couldn’t even stay to eat the food that was already on the table. We simply got up and left. The atmosphere had become so toxic and repulsive that we completely lost our appetite.

What touched us the most, however, was the cashier named Jo — an extremely kind, respectful, and attentive employee who was clearly emotionally shaken by the whole incident. In tears, she told us, “I hate violence,” and seemed genuinely distressed by the tension her boss had created. Out of respect for her — and only for her — we made an effort to de-escalate the situation.

Other customers saw everything, supported us, and made it clear they would also be voicing their outrage. It was an unacceptable display of arrogance and hostility that no one should ever have to experience.

Do yourself a favor: take your money elsewhere — somewhere you’ll be treated with dignity, and where the staff are respected too.

ANSWER TO THE OWNER’s comments: First and foremost, we would like to correct several seriously mistaken claims:

At no point were we in a “group.” It was just my wife and me, enjoying a sunny Saturday morning like any couple going out for breakfast together. We placed our order in a happy and friendly manner and sat outside, on the restaurant’s patio area.

The accusation that we were confrontational or disrespectful to the staff does not reflect reality. We were served with normalcy and courtesy, like any customer expecting a pleasant experience. To claim that there was any kind of provocation or hostility on our part is simply false.

Regarding the interaction with your staff: At no point was anything offensive said. The allegation that someone mentioned “North Korea” is completely fabricated and, frankly, absurd.

Additionally, you claimed that you chose to refund the amount we had paid “to de-escalate the situation.” That is not true. We were the ones who requested the refund, as it was unthinkable to continue our meal after being treated in such a hostile manner.

The nearby table, with about eight people, witnessed everything. They were visibly disturbed by the way we were treated and even spoke with us afterward — which shows that the impact of your behavior was not felt by us alone.

We emphasize: there was no harassment, no fraud, no aggression. What there was — was a couple simply seeking to enjoy a pleasant morning, but instead confronted by unacceptable conduct from the management of the establishment.

Our review had only one purpose: to alert other customers and to give voice to an experience that was, unfortunately, upsetting and disappointing. We hope that instead of trying to silence criticism through accusations and threats, you might reflect on what happened and seek more respectful ways of dealing with both your customers —...

Last Saturday morning, I went to this establishment with a few friends. We sat on the patio — the food was good and the service was fast and polite at first.

However, the experience took a shocking turn. Out of nowhere, a staff member — who we later realized was the owner — came out visibly agitated and began speaking aggressively at a couple sitting at the table next to ours. Apparently, they had been using a vape, which we later learned is not allowed on the premises. However, the couple seemed unaware of this rule, and instead of calmly explaining it, the owner was extremely rude, aggressive, and even threatening. He acted as if he had warned them several times before, though it was clearly the first confrontation.

The woman tried to explain that he didn’t need to be so hostile, but he doubled down, saying, "Yes, I’m being rude because you're smoking." The outburst was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the area — including us, who had nothing to do with the situation. A simple, respectful warning would have sufficed.

Afterwards, the couple went inside, seemingly to register with photos or videos what happened. A female staff member then stepped in and handled the situation with kindness, empathy, and professionalism. She apologized, assured them a refund would be issued, and tried her best to deescalate things.

Unfortunately, the owner returned moments later, slammed a refund slip into the couple’s hands, and threatened to call the police if they didn’t leave the property immediately. The whole scene was incredibly uncomfortable. The kind staff member was visibly shaken and even had tears in her eyes.

My friends and I had already finished our food — we were just enjoying ourselves, laughing, and catching up when everything unfolded. After the incident, the atmosphere completely changed, and we no longer felt comfortable staying. What should have been a relaxed morning ended on a very sour note. It's troubling to think that someone who treats customers this way is in charge of...

The man at the counter welcomed us with a big smile. He was very kind and helpful. The design of the restaurant is very cute and is generally neutral with pops of colour. The space is small but they have made enough space to seat maybe 10- 20 people at a time. They have all the traditional coffee options and offer oat( gf), almond and regular milk. They also have many iced tea options that look very good and I believe will be worth the try. Their waffles look so beautiful and have unique flavour. Unfortunately, they do not have any gluten free waffles so I was not able to try them but my brother did and he rated his waffle a 7/10. The only gluten free option they had for me was the chocolate tea cake which was topped with seeds and nuts. We ended up ordering a iced latte with oat milk, a cappuccino, two puff pastries, a gf tea cake and an egg sandwich waffle. Everything was presented nicely and tasted great. The only issue we had was the lack of gluten free options. I hope they will eventually bring some more options to the table and I will gladly give them a try. Overall great experience and I definitely recommend this place. Thank you...