Romolo Chocolates — Restaurant in Erie

I'm feeling quite frustrated after my recent visit. Romolo's chocolates are undeniably good, especially the sponge candy, but my experience left me disheartened. They offer a small, simple smiley face gift, clearly intended for children. As someone who appreciates small gestures and the simple happiness often associated with treats like chocolate, I found it charming and wanted one myself. In my own business, we believe in going the extra mile to make a client happy, and a small, inexpensive token like this would be freely given, regardless of age. After all, isn't the joy of chocolate universal? I spent around $80 on gifts for my employees and girlfriend, looking forward to brightening their upcoming Friday and Easter. Given my purchase, I hoped they might make an exception for the smiley face. When that wasn't possible, I even offered to buy it – the tag said $2, and I would have happily paid $5. However, I was told repeatedly that it was exclusively for kids and not for sale otherwise. They suggested a larger item, but I explained I wasn't looking for more calories; I was simply drawn to the cheerful little smiley face itself. It felt like my desire for this small bit of whimsy was completely dismissed. While the staff member I interacted with was friendly and pleasant (she was cute and clearly just following rules she couldn't change), the store's rigid adherence to this policy felt unwelcoming and short-sighted. It's disappointing when strict rules overshadow genuine customer goodwill, especially over something so minor. It sadly cast a pall over the whole experience, making everything feel a bit colorless despite the quality of the chocolates. Romolo is a local favorite, and I understand traditions, but this inflexibility has unfortunately soured my view. It makes me question returning, especially when excellent brands like Godiva or Max Brenner are readily available online, often prioritizing the overall customer experience. It's not just about the product's cost or quality; the atmosphere and feeling valued matter immensely. For these reasons, I'm leaving two stars: one for the genuinely good sponge candy, and one for the friendly staff member who, despite her kindness, couldn't overcome the store's frustratingly inflexible policy. It's a shame that such a small thing could lead to losing a customer, but this encounter likely marks...

I recently purchased a platter from their gift shop and when I took it out of the box I noticed that it was defective. I went to return/exchange it the next day which happened to be a Saturday only to find out that returns can only be completed Monday thru Friday from 8 to 4. Who does that? What if I came from out of town? What if I worked every Monday thru Friday from 8 to 4 like most individuals who work first shift? While I was there on Saturday I happened to find the same platter that was not defective and asked the girl to hold it for me and that I would return the following Monday. When I returned on Monday to make the exchange I found the owner to be rude and very condescending; acting as if I caused the defect. When in fact the same platter that they had on display in the gift shop had the same defect. She then began to tell me that they are not allowed to hold any item for anyone and was not sure if she could help me. I have spent a lot of money over the years at this business and this was not the first time I have experienced such unsatisfactory customer service. I have never seen the owners smile and I do not think that their employees are allowed to smile either. Actually the owners always look soooo miserable and I don't understand how you cannot be happy when you are working with chocolate. At work we refer to the bakery as the cookie Nazi's since you can only buy so many or few cookies before noon. Once my friend took her children for ice cream and while they were eating it outside the owner came out and was swearing to an employee about the weeds in the courtyard right in front of the kids. Tasteful Chocolate - VERY Distasteful...

Tony is a bitter old man who doesn't want to listen to what his customers are saying to him and talks over you and refuses to admit when he is wrong! Ordered 1 lb of chocolate coated sponge candy and 1 lb uncoated. We were told we would get more uncoated due to them being the same weight regardless. Picked up today, it wasn't ready, had to wait 10 minutes for them to package it, and a 3rd person put it in our bag and taped it shut without us really even seeing it. Got home, opened it and weighed the bags. Chocolate covered was 16 oz. Uncoated was 3 oz. Then Tony tried telling us about all the special work and labor that goes into the process of making the sponge. You make all the uncovered first for your chocolate covered sponge! Your "special" labor is pulling 3 oz off a tray and putting it in a bag that is not labeled with the accurate weight! I have a problem with that but Tony didn't want to hear it and went on about how much he does for the city and proceeded to tell me to shop somewhere else!! My kids and spouses spend upwards of $200/month when visiting and we have as well... This man better learn some customer service skills, because no matter how good a product is, my money will spend elsewhere as he suggested! Maybe now I know why he split from Stefanelli's! I couldn't work with/for him either!!! The people who work for him must be saints!! THEY are always friendly and quick with a smile. Too bad he doesn't reflect...