Free Bird Cafe CNX Donation Center and Thrift Store — Restaurant in Chiang Mai Province

The staff were gorgeous and the food we had was good.

However, the white American owner was awful.

When we got there, we ordered and were enjoying the cafe environment. A few minutes later, we witnessed her abusive, racist behaviour towards her staff. She very sternly talked down to a female staff member for a long time, in front of customers, making not only staff uncomfortable but also customers. It was as if she was telling off a naughty child, acting as if the staff member was incompetent and pulling her up and punishing her for the smallest things.

She told off the staff member for using basic Thai phrases with customers (e.g. thank you) and criticised her pronunciations of English words. This is unacceptable as we tourists are in Thailand and should all be completely prepared and excited to hear Thai language, and grateful to Thai people for learning English to communicate with foreigners. I very much enjoy hearing Thai and using the basic phrases I know! She clearly enjoys being condescending and having the upper hand by only communicating with her staff in English.

We heard her speaking rudely and condescendingly to staff throughout our meal, completely ruining the atmosphere. My friends and I felt very tense and uncomfortable, and felt on edge and watched for the remainder of our brunch. We all felt relieved once we had left the room and the tense environment.

We saw two sides of the owner, one with the staff and one side with a tourist group she was holding an event with.

And for someone who is has posters on the walls about workers' rights and repeatedly replies to reviews mentioning the cafe's good working conditions, her attitude and behaviour are not those of someone who lives by her words. The whole thing felt very performative and for show.

I want to reiterate that the staff were amazing, especially while working under these conditions. They must feel so under pressure and on edge throughout their shifts.

I should have read all of the Google reviews before coming here. When she is criticised for her abusive behaviour, she is extremely defensive and quick to write angry paragraphs accusing the customers of being rude. She even writes about checking the cameras and acts as though she can remember every customer and order. She also admits that she should have talked to/yelled at her staff in private, which is not much better for the poor staff members. She is obviously insecure and revels in her power and white saviour complex.

I will never support this cafe again, and there are so many other places in Chiang Mai that are Thai owned and run that I could recommend. I suggest that the owner has a think about her actions and the many, many customers who have alerted her and the public to her terrible and discomforting behaviour.

I know she will reply to this and know exactly who me and my friends were as we were the only other people in the room with the tour group, and the multiple times she abused the staff members, but I laugh at the idea that she thinks she can threaten me via a...

Wonderful, delicious food, made of a fantastic recipe with obvious care and love. Presentation spot on, delivery spot on. Best, most friendly and welcoming customer service from the lovely guy who brought and collected our dishes. So happy to read about the incredible, valuable and important work Free Bird Cafe have been doing with Thai ethnic groups and Burmese refugees. I also LOVE that the staff are paid a fair living wage in the city, which (along with high quality of organic, ethically and locally sourced produce) reflects the prices. Having had various vegan Khao Soi all over Chiang Mai, I was delighted to taste Free Birds take on it. Absolutely, it was a very good experience, the Khao Soi (฿110 baht and worth every baht) was incredible. Healthy and wholesome, I love the range of vegetables, the purple sweet potato crisp topping and the chickpea tofu was an amazing surprise. The dish was just so full of flavour. I had it with rice noodles, instead of lentils. I would definitely have it again. I tried a bit of the salad too and it was great also. Regarding the environment, it was really lovely, and peaceful. I love the range of seating options, from individual tables, long canteen group tables, to coffee table / sofa seats and outdoor bench tables too. The only option I would have preferred is seating on cushions on the floor (but that’s just my own personal preference). However, this did not take away from my experience here, because it was all fantastic. There is WiFi, although I was a little confused about the sign “no computer use” as I often end up spending so much more money at a place when I’m working online. On Wednesdays there is a Chaing Mai Nomad Girls meet up. There is also a fantastic little zero waste shop attached, where I was able to buy an organic ‘all in one’ for laundry, body wash, vegetables, dishes etc at a good price. Alas, go here, donate your clothing and recycle plastics here, eat here, drink here, support this not-for-profit, social enterprise venture, they are all awesome. I know I definitely...

I loved the the decor & the mission statement of Free Bird. I thoroughly enjoyed the little pommy, Luna, & meeting a stranger turned friend from the Weekly Nomad Girls Lunch.

I bought some various drinks since they were ones I've never had before. They were tastier than the food I ordered.

The food was bland for the most part - & I'm usually good at finishing everything I eat, but there was no joy/soul in what I was eating. Nothing stood out to where I would go out of my way to come back. I've been to various vegan/vegetarian places & this was disappointing. Even the first bite of the brownie & granola, I didn't want any more & couldn't finish those, either.

I felt a bit bad for one of the male employees by the way the owner talked to him for not having the tables cleaned. I believe she could have done it in a kinder & gentler way. Just because they're your "help" doesn't mean they're any less human.

That incident kinda killed my vibe as I left.

P.S. Maybe you need to stop your spiritual bypassing & go within to meet yourself a bit more. Your interaction with your "student" was a power-trip. His body language where it looked like he wanted to shrink himself, because you were talking down to him in front of a customer (me), told it all. I saw the way his eyes darted to look at me in embarrassment.

I know that look & body language because I would watch my adoptive white mother do the same to our maids in the Philippines. You were not perfectly kind. If you were, I would never have said otherwise. Please take care, & I hope whatever your heart & soul needs healing from,...