Gypsea Market — Restaurant in Quintana Roo

Tourists and residents of Tulum, beware of this establishment. Living in Tulum for 4 years and counting, I had the worst experience customer service-wise at this store. This place does not welcome shoppers and it does not treat them as such. And the worst part, it was that it came from the very owner of the place (the French guy). Three weeks ago, I had some guests in my house, and I went to Gypsea Market get couple of beers and a bottle of wine. Knowing that this store is an over-priced tourist scheme that charges everything double to tripple, I still went there because the gas station was further down the road, and I did not want to keep my house guests waiting. So, I grabbed about eight Victoria beers and a bottle of white wine. I went to the counter and paid with the card. Then, I asked the owner (the French guy) for a plastic bag. He said : "No, we don't give plastic bags, they are five pesos." I have offered a hundred dollar bill to pay for the plastic bag, and he refused because he did not want to change this bill. Then I have asked him if I can have a plastic bag to put my beers and wine, and bring five pesos tomorrow, because I was on my motorcycle and there was no way for me to carry them on my scooter without a bag. He said in French accented Spanish: "All the people say the same thing as you, and they never pay five pesos." Okay then, then I demanded the refund, because I couldn't carry the bottles without a bag, I had no choice but to go to the gas station. Then He said rudely in annoyed voice: "I can not refund you, because I have just charged your card, this is not possible!" Then, I have realized that there is some kind of problem of narcissistic attitude with this person. I did not understand why he would not give me a bag to safely take out my merchandise. I tried to grab bottles with my hands, it was kind of sloppy trying to hug all of them. I carefully walked towards the exit and the owner said: "Come back tomorrow, and maybe we will see", meaning he might give me a bag tomorrow. I had offered all the options, to ask for a bag, to pay for the bag with $100 bill, to get the refund on my card, and he turned all the options down. He left me with no choice, but to walk out with the bottles in my hands. Eight bottles of beer and a bottle of wine. I had put all the bottles down on the scooter floor, holding them loosely between my legs. As soon as I turned my scooter on and crossed the gravel of the parking lot, I stepped on the main street, and the three bottles fell of the motorcycle, splintered on the highway. I had to put down all the bottles on the side of the road, so I could clean up the glass from the main road. I do not understand this man's attitude. Some Tulum locals told me the same about him, that he is a rude, condescending narcissist. If he does not want to provide the means for his customers to take out the merchandise safely from his store, he does not deserve to own and run the business. Customer service and customer satisfaction are the most important things. If you are unable to understand and provide this, then you are incompetent and should be put out of business. Hopefully, my note will serve to those who demand great customer service, considering the money they are paying. By all means, avoid this store. Go to a gas station down the road, or take taxi to a supermarket or a liquor store, it will be worth your while, you will save money, and on the top of that save your self from dealing with rude...

I feel kinda disturbed by the fact that the name of the brand is "organic products" when it literally is NOT what this shop is about. NONE of the fruits, vegetables and bulk foods are organic, and in the rest of the store if you go by a subject of interest the percentage of organic food is like the 20/30% if not lower.. It is like a treasure hunt in were your final prize is to find an organic item and then discovering that it is extremely overpriced, 25/30 euros of bread without gluten, 12 euros for a tiny common jar of spice, out of 20 types milk only 3 were organic.. It's totally just marketing in where i feel cheated when all the pastries, fruits, spicies, cereals and bulk foods are not organic but the container where they are stored has a sticker of the brand that says "Gypsea Market Organic Products". If you do not ask as I did, you trust and you leave with an item that is not organic, maybe it is zero footprints and doesn't have plastic but this some addings, the shop has to be organic, on the basics. Also it happens that there are products on eco sustainable packaging of paper where it again has the sticker on it and it creates a lot of confusion.. Kinda weird. Also they have a lot of choise for vegans which is good. The resume is: You go to an organic shop, trusting, for a necesity of a healthy lifestyle not a whim and you waste a lot of time looking for what is effectively organic and what is not and if you find it you have to wonder about the high price. A morality check I think is needed 'cause this is playing with people's health and intentions. NO Monsanto. It's like going to a vegan restaurant where they sell animal meat.

(Answer to the owner: Ok, thank you for the list you made me but I think that the concept of my review got lost, there is a lot of confusion on what is organic and not and the percentage of organic items is really low compared to non organic ones. Also about the fruit, vegetable and bulk food your employers told me that none of them were organic (2 times), so you can of course understand why I'm confused and disturbed. Thanks for...

Wow- The building design and retail displays are absolutely beautiful—especially the bulk bin area.

They offer a lovely collection of regional artisanal chocolate bars and coffee beans, all with retail packaging that has a real "wow" factor. Perfect for gift-giving to your favorite coffee-loving soul or to enjoy in your morning cup or coffee based dessert. -

I was particularly impressed with their natural, locally made cold process soap line. It comes in three sizes: a full bar, a mini bar, and a $20 peso micro mini bar. The micro mini is perfect if you want to sample their scents—mostly fruit-based. Some of the bars use fragrance oils rather than 100% essential oils, but the smaller sizes are ideal for trying out the line before committing to a full bar or if you just need a small bar because you forgot to pack soap for your trip.

UP DATE: they also sell this brand at the big chain grocery store for less $$$ -Chedraui (just not the .05 oz sample bars - He should maybe source a new Tulum Cold Process soap vendor - who uses organic essential oils and base oils to better vibe with his natural foods concept...

They also have a great selection of spices in minimal packaging at affordable prices—perfect if you just need a little bit of spice to enhance a dish at your accommodation. Many Airbnb rentals in Tulum don't provide basic cooking staples like salt, pepper, and oil, so this store makes it convenient to get what you need.

Some of the fruits (Strawberries) and veggies (Onions) looked a bit tired, but it's the off-season, so they may not have as many customers to ensure a quick turnover. Perhaps if they were discounted/ reduced for quick sale, they would sell faster.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the GYPSEA Market, and if Tulum were my permanent home, this zero-waste shop would definitely be on my weekly or bi-weekly...