Bruegger's Bagels — Restaurant in Durham

Love the bagels it's one of my favorite places to grab breakfast. The staff who prepares the bagels are always gracious, and polite and greet the customers with a "good morning". However, I must say the guy who checks out the customers never says good morning. He's always talking about sports when I walk in and will continue talking even when a customer like myself walks in without acknowledging them. He seems reluctant when he has to help out when it's getting busy. I guess cause he wants to continue to talk. The same thing happened this morning when I stopped by to grab a bagel. I work in the customer service industry. I always do my best to provide to my customer with the best customer experience possible. Otherwise, they will go somewhere else. Let me be clear it's not everyone at this location. Just this one individual. UPDATE 6/5/2023: In May i decided to give this place another try. Again most of the staff here know what great customer service is all about. Customer loyalty and retention are so important in keeping a business thriving with so much competition. With that said I resume stopping by more often and received great service, and small conversations and left with a smile. The individual my previous review referenced had not been there for a few weeks. The service i received was excellent. Unfortunately today I walked in the person who I felt did not do his best at providing this service was back at the register and back to the same poor service. No good morning ma'am. He was talking to a co-worker as I walked in about sports. Looked at me and asked what I'm having. I responded and paid my bill. He gave me my change and continued talking to his co-worker. The two ladies making the bagel sandwiches are always pleasant, smile, and greet the customer. There is another location that I will be visiting going forward. My point is if a customer does not feel welcome where we are spending our hard-earned money in today's market. I will certainly take my business and hard-earned money elsewhere that will be welcomed and leave...

They switched up how to order and it’s awful. I have been coming to brueggers for 30 years. It’s the deli experience for me. Talking to the person making your bagel looking at the bagels etc. now it’s a fast food restaurant with only a screen to stare at. The people are still amazing. The manager I’ve recognized from my HS days in CH. but with the new set up- It wont be a top choice for me. And that makes me very very sad. Y’all are hiding your best assets (your people) behind screens. We kept coming even when we couldn’t sit in your restaurant for 3 1/2 years because the people were awesome because the people would talk to you and give you recommendations on bagels and show you a different bagel and a different type of sandwich. The sandwich artist would talk to your kid and give him a high five and show them how they made the sandwiches so it became a The sandwich artist would talk to your kid and give them a high five and show them how they made the sandwiches so it became An experience. It wasn’t just a beagle. It was a community. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. I hope y’all read this feedback as truly from a great space and just from love of Bruegger’s because I grew up there literally I’ve brought my kids there to grow up there as this was our special breakfast spot. I just hope corporate doesn’t make you guys turn into robots. Y’all are really the best people and I want to see you guys and...

I wish the owners, manager/assistant manager; manned the prep line full-time (don't know their names but they are both African American and are there early mornings), because they do an excellent job engaging you as the customer, appreciating your business (even telling you so) and making sure everything is correct with your order. They are the SINGLE REASON I return to this place regularly at least once a week in the early morning, because they generally care about their business and doing a good job by realizing great customer service, brings the customer back. I had to give a shout out of appreciation to them. However, the unenthusiastic staff (tall, skinnier, lighter skin African American woman with glasses) they employ in the early morning that consistently gets my to-go orders wrong, barely listens, engages me with sour and annoyed looks or glances when I'm asking my order to be prepared and then this same lady prepares coffee that has black, burnt chunks of coffee residue floating in it from the container having not been cleaned properly. Yeah, she could use some re-training. I drive by this place on my way to work each day and if I see that woman working behind the bar, I keep driving and get breakfast at the Harris Teeter a few stores down. However if it's the manager/assistant manager/owner I'll stop in and get breakfast....