Touche Touchet Bakery and Pastry Shoppe — Restaurant in Columbia

UNDERCOVER RACISTS! BLACKS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR BEWARE! I placed an order for a cake yesterday. It hasn't even been 24 hours. I kept thinking about the level of customer service that I received when I placed my order. I really wanted this order because one I liked the previous service I received at this bakery, and two I wanted this cake for my sister's graduation. So this morning I called to cancel my order. The first person who answered the call gave the phone to a manager who quoted that there was some bogus reason that she couldn't refund the $ to me but could only grant store credit. I am upset because I am requesting to cancel the order for a reason NOT just because I don't want the cake. Yesterday when I ordered the cake the young white guy who took my order, while he took it, he did so begrudgingly. My sister wanted a yellow cake with white buttercream frosting, but then when I looked at the form, she wanted to know how some of the other flavors tasted. We both like coconut cake, so I asked the guy how theirs taste. He took a cupcake from the display, and again he did all this begrudgingly. When he gave me a plastic spoon to taste the cake, he threw it on the counter. That was strike #1, but I didn't think much of it at the time. Then, the kicker was when I paid for my order. I handed my card to him in his hand, but he then placed it and the receipt on the counter. I thought about this all night. Now I know this bakery is in the Atholton High School area, and they have had some racial issues with some of their students calling black students the N-word. And his treatment of me throughout my visit reminded me of that. I thought would he have thrown a spoon at a white customer, or would he had given it to them? The same for the card on the counter. To top this off, the so-called manager with whom I spoke never once cared to ask why I was cancelling the order. When I asked to speak with someone other than her, meaning the owner, she refused, telling me he will be in some day this week and that she was not going to put me in contact with him. She never ONCE asked me why I wanted to cancel the order. And when I pushed her on her lack of concern, she began to explain to me how she handles customer service calls. If the customer doesn't outright tell her what the problem is, she doesn't ask. Again, she came on the phone quoting to me their refund policy, never once asking what was the problem. She didn't even have concern in her voice at all. So this tells me the type of people I have been patronizing all these years. If I had been white, she would've done everything she could to rectify that situation. When the call ended, the manager didn't even explain next steps or anything just bye. I even gave her the opportunity to act like she even cared by telling her I would expose her bakery on every review platform possible. What was the result? Dead silence! Again, if I were some rich white woman, does even think this would have been her response? I can answer that for myself. Everyone tends to think Columbia is this little community insulated from racists, but I know it to be a tad different. Every now and then I will have one of these experiences here, and I'm glad when they happen because they show me who people really are. Just wish I had found this out the other times I'd been here. I have been to Touche's several times. Guess it took a more extensive experience for them to show how they really feel. In fact, I just went to their other cafe bakery in Elkridge the other day for the first time. No, I don't want a store credit because this means I would still have to spend my $30 there at your store. But when I tell you I will NEVER patronize this bakery again. And ANY black or person of color that I know who is thinking about patronizing you, I will point them to this review. It's fine that you have gotten $30 off me. I will survive and order my sister's cake from a bakery that will actually treat me like a customer. But rest assured, your racist bakery will reap what you sowed on...

If I could give Zero stars I would. The first time I visited this restaurant was Saturday 4/22/23. I was searching for bakeries who offered the traditional German Chocolate Cake and this bakery came up and the reviews were great. I decided to place my order. I went in and ordered the cake to be picked up the end of May. Before leaving I purchased a lemon cupcake. When I got home(15 min drive) I decided to taste the cupcake. I could not believe this bakery was given 4.4 stars given after taking a bite of the worst cupcake in my life. This cupcake was extremely heavy, the icing was ok but the cake was so crumbly and dry that I had to scoop the crumbs up and smash it into the spoon to get it into my mouth. Anytime your cake crumbles like that it is NOT FRESH. I ordered a cupcake not dust with icing. Not only was this cake not fresh the taste was no where near lemon, it was dark yellowish brown in color with some seasoning speckles in it. Truthfully, I know cakes and when they are fresh, this was not, apparently they baked it before the pandemic and sold it to me after its been sitting in someones locker for 3 years. Even my husband said it was bad. So, at this point I am upset because I ordered a cake and I was not about to feed my guest anything that taste remotely like this. This is the sad part, when I placed the order the lady told me there is no refund at all. This is where I made the mistake because I should have walked out when she told me this. If you know your cakes are fresh and delicious why would you have a no refund policy. My cake pickup date is a month away so its not like they are taking a loss. Well given the stale cake maybe they would have made it so far in advance, lol. I bought the cupcake at 9am so it should be extremely fresh. I went back the next day and asked for a refund and to cancel the cake I ordered. I was told sorry about that but no refunds. The gentleman actually said he couldn't even do a refund if he wanted to because the manager is the only one who has the refund code. WHAT! The manager was not in that day so I asked him to call her. Over the phone she agreed to the refund and was supposed to do it on Tuesday. I called her Tuesday and she said she was not giving a refund. I actually bought the cupcake back in minus the 2 bites we took, they did not look at it nor did they try to say their cakes are baked fresh. I honestly felt they knew it wasn't fresh. I believe this no refund policy is disrespectful to customers and that whomever is writing these reviews cannot honestly know what a good a good cake is. I'll be going back to my normal bakery Cakes Plus because I get a fresh cake every time from them PERIOD. Beware when you order from this bakery, they did not and flat out refused to give my money back, I had to get my bank involved. The manager even called the owner of the bakery when I threatened to call my bank and write a review on google and the owner stated that he would not give me a refund. When I placed the order I paid for the cake because they stated I had to pay in advance the entire amount. I should have...

The cakes and cookies are great here, however I was hired by the owner whom at first seemed really really nice, I wasn't in need of a job at the time because in between applying there and the time I was called in I had already gotten hired at first transit driving the mobility vans for 16$ hour, however the bakery would have been a pay cut to 10$ hour which I would have gladly done for the commute difference (closer to home) when I interviewed they discussed hiring me for asst manager and wanted to know if I would be willing to do that instead of front person which was mornings from 7-3, asst manager needs to be available 10-6 with a little more responsibilities, so of course I wanted to know if it would be more pay cause if not it would not be beneficial for me.. at that time the owner MICHAEL told me yes it pays more and he would discuss that with me one on one. When I went to the hiring orientation/meeting I was given a schedule and it was 10-6 for the week, at that time I asked the question, which I told them at the interview I prefer mornings unless of course the pay is different, the owner said to me the pay don't change until we train you as a asst manager so at that time I said I would rather stick with front person/cashier from 7-3, well he went off HE TOOK THE UNIFORM BACK AND STARTED ORDERING ME TO GET OUT, saying I was gonna be a problem and started using profanity and I couldn't get a word in.. I was dumb founded it was like dr. Jackal and Mr Heidi he turned into a totally different person, if I wasn't so shocked I would have found him funny but he was so unprofessional and rude it wasn't funny.. I'm so glad I did not quit my job for that! He thought he was gonna have me work that shift and act as asst manager without the pay.. NOT ME. With that rudeness,and it was plenty of witnesses I would never even shop there again MICHAEL TOUCHET IS NASTY HE NICE ON THE OUTSIDE BUT ITS MAKE BELEIVE!!...