The Bare Food Company — Restaurant in The Borough District of Drogheda

First of all, I work in customer service so I'm not being mean for the sake of it, but the organisation & management of Bare Food needs a lot of work.

I popped in for brunch with my partner last week, after reading great reviews online. First of all, there are no clear instructions on where to queue to order food. Menus are placed in the middle of the counter so you have to reach over people already ordering to get one.

When I eventually caught the attention of a staff member to ask if we could be seated outside I was abruptly told to "order at the till as there is a different system for indoor seating." (Okay...grand, that makes sense.) Ordered at the till from what seemed to be a lovely, but somewhat frazzled new employee who was trying her best despite not getting much help from other staff members who all appeared to be sullen and stressed.

We decided to sit indoors due to the strong sun that day plus all the outdoor tables had dirty dishes left on them attracting flies in the heat. I had to ask which table to we were to sit at only to be told to "pick any". (Fair enough, it's a small place, I'm sure they'll remember each customer...)

You're not seated, let alone served and the water is a less than appealing humid jug that you "self- serve" from at the top of the seating area. (Nothing like warm water on a hot day.)

Tables are not wiped down or set, and a server came down 15mins later with two napkins and cutlery, dumped them on the table and left without another word. We ordered two smoothies but when they both arrived, they were definitely not worth the €6 each, as they were mostly water & banana, despite being advertised as pineapple, mango & banana.

We waited for 30mins in baking heat for our food, despite it being quiet.(no air-conditioning on either and a staff member attempted to open the door behind us to let in a breeze but it was blocked by bins.) Only when my partner went up to query was there an issue with the order, did they acknowledge that they had "somehow missed the order". No apologies, no attempt to rectify the issue, just a curt "it'll be with you as soon as we make it."

While the food itself was grand, however I feel that there is a distinct lack of management in place. Perhaps a designated server for outside and another monitoring the indoor seating? Even someone doing a quick sweep every so often to ask if anyone needed anything else would probably encourage add-on sales like desserts or more drinks.

Behind the till, the staff seemed stressed despite the lack of customers, with no clear hint of who's in charge, or whom to order from. The new girls came down to apologise for missing our order but she looked about ready to cry. A lack of one-to-one training like that will only end up in high employee turnover and a bad rep for the employers.

Could be a hotspot for people but the lack of any kind of decent service really drags down whatever positives of having a gluten free\dairy free dining...

Was here on Thursday, April 14th with a pal for the first time. Good range of options on menu and the soup was very tasty. Main issues is with Customer service: When we arrived into the cafe, we stood at the counter for about 2 minutes while 2 girls behind the counter made eye contact but continued about their business just making sandwiches. No smiles or greeting. We then asked, should we order or take a seat for table service. We were told its table service. We went and took a table and were then served by a very unfriendly young blonde girl. I always give people the benefit of the doubt so though maybe she'd crack a smile at some point. But when she came back to take the order, she was aloof, stone faced and looked like she was hating every second of being there. We were very friendly towards her thinking it would perhaps alter her demeanor but, no... she was cold, rude and not someone who should be dealing with customers. I was thinking maybe it was her age as she seemed early 20's maybe even late teens. But no excuse for rudeness. She made us feel awkward when we asked questions about recommendations or menu options. Her interaction with another staff member also seemed very abrupt. Her manner for the whole 90 minutes we were there was like a child who been told off and was having a sulk and going out of their way to be rude and unfriendly. Maybe she was having a bad day and should have been given some personal time off. However, staff like this are off putting as it gives the impression that this is the level of service that is accepted within a business. I doubt I'm the first to review this issue or to have pointed it out but if its a recurring complaint, management should review this as soon as possible. I hope to go back and try some other menu options but I'm already hoping we get a...

Great for plant-based peeps! (4/5 Green Stars) Have been going to Bare Food for a few years now and by brother is a regular there. If you need convincing of the bare food ethos (explained on their website) then just try their scone. It’s vegan and made with dried fruit and nuts to replace the refined sugar that you’ll normally encounter. It’s definitely more nutritious than a regular scone and also won’t result in a sugar crash. Anyway, the food and coffee at Bare Food don’t disappoint and staff members are always friendly. Café seating, both inside and in the laneway, is comfy. A good place to spend some time.

I’m giving Bare Food 4/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact for the following reasons: • Lots of vegan and vegetarian options (veggie sausage, tofu can sub for chicken in most dishes, vegan pastries, vegan butter). Eating a mostly plant-based diet is the #1 thing you can do to save the planet. • Tea is from Tea Pigs (a B-Corporation, plant-based packaging, member of ethical tea partnership) and coffee is from 8th Corner (sometimes organic) • Kombucha from SynerChi, made from organic tea in Donegal. Smoothies are made fresh, to order. • Compostable cups, but I do wish they could provide ceramic and glass for customers who sit out in the lane (A strange rule for Covid, I guess, even though it’s not spread by touch). • Would like to see organic food, or some info about sourcing...