Whanga Bar & Cafe — Restaurant in Waikato

I stayed with an elderly family member over the New Year period in the Coromandel over the past New Year break, it was most certainly good to catch up and to enjoy some good food and company with the excellent 2022 weather as the backdrop. This was turned on its head after going to the “Whanga Bar & Cafe” in Whangamata for a meal on New Year’s Day. On asking for a bigger menu other than the limited breakfast menu, we were given the lunch menu and told that we could not order from this till 12 noon, another 15 minutes away. We ordered two coffees and were asked to come back to order from the lunch menu at 12 noon. The coffees duly arrived very quickly, so at the allotted time, my elderly family member went and ordered a cheese burger and a side of wedges, was given a number and told that the food would be delivered in due course after being made to wait two minutes by a rather abrupt “time counting” staff member. As the back eating are started filling up with clients, my elderly family member started to get agitated to see other tables that had arrived later than us, and presumably ordering later than us start receiving their food orders. We asked a passing staff member after 20 minutes whom told us in a harassed voice that she would check after asking what we had ordered. Five minutes after, another staff member asked us “if everything was okay” and wanted to clear our table due to the by now empty coffee cups. On being told the situation, another staff member appeared and in a rather rude manner told us that there was a “thirty minute wait” which no one told us about, it “was to be expected as they were busy” due to the holiday period and on being politely told that the other customers had already received their orders and in one case had eaten and left, we were then told that as we had ordered a “proper full meal” it was implied that the wait time would be longer. On being told once again politely that everyone else seemed to be eating “burgers and fries/salads” and that they had received theirs, it begged a question what happened to our order? The staff member then flounced off and within one minute had come back, abruptly put the money for the order for the food on the table and snarled that the order was coming before turning on her heels and storming back into the cafe/bar building. My elderly family member, a Coromandel local was by this time fuming, we took the money and left, but not before comments from customers at other tables who watched this all play out saying how rude etc………the staff were……… I saw in the local newspaper that Coromandel hospitality businesses had taken a real knocking due to the recent events and that many were hoping for a good summer to make up as many would be in dire straights if it did not occur. While I am from Auckland, I have spent the best part of my working life overseas, to be honest, I have had rude, diabolical service in the past, but I did not expect this from the Coromandel………...and I was told that Auckland was bad……, this experience at the “Whanga Bar & Café” takes top honours……… Oh, no staff member asked to see our covid pass which was interesting, then maybe not as some staff had masks on and others did not.

PS: I would have given no stars, but this app does not...

If I can sum up my experience here in one word, that word would be Disgraceful. I get that it was very busy and there was some sort of equipment malfunction in the kitchen, but that doesn't excuse what happened and the appalling way that our complaint was handled. We waited well over a hour for our breakfast, I had to go ask the staff how much longer it would be, I thought maybe our order had been lost. I was told another 20 minutes. At this stage my friend left a review on the Facebook page commenting on the lack of communication between us and the staff, the entire Facebook page has since been removed. Our food eventually came out and we ate, nothing wrong with the food, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Once we finished our meal we were confronted by the owner who was clearly upset by the review that was posted. Instead of asking what the issue was and trying to resolve it, we were met with poor excuses, absolutely no explanation as to why we weren't informed of the long wait, told to leave and then abused on the way out. I can't repeat the words used on here as it's inappropriate for a Google review and definitely inappropriate in a cafe. All of this took place in front of a cafe full of people making absolutely everyone uncomfortable. If we had been informed of the wait time none of this would of happened, there's ways to deal with complaints and poor reviews and causing a scene and abusing your customers certainly isn't how to do it. I don't like to leave bad reviews but this cafe/bar has earned it. I hope you can learn from this experience so that this doesn't happen again...

Just some info to ponder on. Went for Breakfasf on Saturday with my wife and did a double take on our two Breakfasts. I normally dont look at the EFTPOS screen or worry to much about price but had to check the Bank while seated to make sure what I thought I saw was correct. Both my Wife and I had eggs bene. Piece of white toast with 2 small poached eggs and 2 slices of bacon. 1 coffee and 1 hot chocolate and 2.9% charge for paywave. It came to $72 for Breakfast. I understand costs have increased, wages have increased but hoping its only INflation not GREEDflation that has hit this business. We have been going there regularly for the last 3 years and always enjoy it. Just posting as it worries me that if no one says anything people may stop going which is extremely bad for a great business in a great spot. Still a lovely place with great service but worried those prices may chase people away in the...