Fazoli's — Restaurant in Chesapeake

I had the worst experience this past weekend at the Greenbriar Pkway location in Chesapeake, Virginia. I have used this location for going on three years now for our hockey organization. I always order big catering orders for the weekend. I placed three separate orders on Thursday 2/11 for pickup on Saturday 2/13 one for 60 people at 12:30pm, one for 28 people at 7:45pm, and one for 28 people at 10:00pm. All of the orders equaling around $1000. The 12:30pm order was ready to go right on time...and I was pleased that once again they had exceeded my expectation. BUT NOT FOR LONG, my order that was supposed to be delivered at 7:45pm and I had paid a delivery fee for was a NO SHOW. When I called 30 minutes after the expected arrival, they said they didn't have enough food to fill my orders that night. They already had my money, they had my phone number, they had two days in advance...what more do you need?! I went to the location to figure out what was going on since I was also expecting an order for 10:00pm that night and they said sorry we don't have any food. When arriving at 8:30pm, the kitchen was all cleaned up like they just decided it was too much trouble to complete my orders and the staff was VERY DISRESPECTFUL. They had already passed the phone around when I called earlier to check on the order and all you could hear was laughing like it was some kind of joke. Then when I was there in front of their faces, they laughed. It amazes me how you can run a business so unprofessionally!! After a call to the manager, they were able to whip up something to feed our players. NOT WHAT I ORDERED, NOT ENOUGH FOOD, and definitely NOT ON TIME. But the funny part, after they told me they didn't have my order and I started to give them my delivery address he pulled my order slip out with all of the information including my phone number which they could have called long before all of this happened. I have tried to call multiple times today and even tried to call corporate...I can't get a hold of anyone. I would be embarrassed if I owned or managed this location! I will not stop trying to get my money back...I will also never use them again. I will make sure everyone knows how this location is...

My comments are regarding the drive-through today normally, I do go inside and eat where the service has been great in the past and the food is cooked. Better I believe. And you also get fresh or breadsticks when you go inside. But I went through a drive-through today. They didn’t give me the right amount of breadsticks, and then they were dark, brown and hard and dry. They also gave me spaghetti sauce without the top on it good it spilled all in my bag, but I didn’t even ask for that. I was supposed to have gotten Alfredo sauce on the side for my breadsticks and on the side for my entrée as well and I got neither of those. My chicken broccoli penne was burnt. The broccoli was black. I couldn’t even recognize it as being broccoli. At first I thought it was mushrooms. The chicken on top of it was also very dark, brown and tough. There wasn’t much sauce. It had dried up by the time I got home and I only lived 10 minutes away. The entire meal was no good. Also, if you Go through the drive-through make sure you check your bags. They will tie it in a knot, but you still need to check it because they don’t give you silverware and they don’t give you your sauces like you ask and no napkins either. As soon as I drove off and noticed things weren’t right, I began calling the store, but their phone does not ring. It sits there quietly until it says call ended. Not call failed or it just never rang. I try multiple times could not get the phone to ring so I went online to their customer contact form and submitted my complaint that way. Also, I would like to say that the store really needs some TLC inside and out. The outside almost looks like the store has been abandoned at times. The grass is often not cut, and the property looks poorly maintained. I feel like the manager and employees are struggling to make it look good inside as well, no matter how much they mop or clean up. Everything still looks dirty because it’s so old and worn out. They have been my favorite quick Italian go to spot for gosh probably 20 to 25 years until recently. It’s really starting to take a change...

This Fazoli’s location is 25 minutes from my house but the food is absolutely phenomenal, the dining area and bathroom is always impeccably spotless, but one of the MAIN reasons I go to this particular Fazoli’s (Greenbrier Pkwy in Chesapeake) is for the cashier. I had his name written on a piece of paper, which I have misplaced now but he is, by far and in my personal opinion, the glue that holds that establishment together. Don’t get me wrong, Fazoli’s wouldn’t be Fazoli’s without the amazing kitchen staff and management but this gentleman is the absolute epitome of what a food service industry employee should encompass. From the second that door opens and you walk in, he ‘rolls out the red carpet’ greetings and up until the second you leave he is professional in the highest form. Words alone simply cannot do this man’s demeanor and mere presence justice. He has the most contagious personality. I sat down facing the door the other day and while eating my lunch, I saw a gentleman walk in who was clearly not having a great day by his last phone call he ended shortly after walking into the restaurant. However, by the end of his meal, your employee (to whom I wish I could remember his name), had transformed this initially upset, distraught patron now into this cheerful, social and quite pleasant individual. Throughout the duration of my visit there that day, I saw 3 frequent/return customers come and go and every single one of them knew this male cashier by first name, as he also knew their names, and all 3 of them either shook hands or gave what I call the ‘buddy hug.’ And that is the absolute embodiment of what a dedicated and devoted employee should be. I’d hold onto him. I witnessed a diamond in the rough while eating my yummy baked spaghetti!

If it’ll help management determine who this amazing employee was, so he can properly receive his due recognition and accolades, the day I’m referring to was Friday, February 14, 2025 (Valentine’s Day) approximately between 12:30-1:30 (ballpark timeframe). He deserves much recognition and appreciation for a job...