Einstein Bros. Bagels — Restaurant in Florida

I woke up for work this morning with a budget in mind i wanted to have some good breakfast at a reasonable price. A long time ago i visited a restaurant called Einstein bagels where the staff was very friendly and the food was great. So i became a regular. They saw how often i came to this lovely establishment and insisted if i wanted to save a little money because i visited so frequently i could download there app because their were often specials available on a week by week basis. Almost a year passes by now. Employees trickle in and out of the establishment as i watch the transition they also have a change of store management. This began to take a turn for the worst for this store at this point. Not only is this store not thinking of the budget minded customer but they will upsell you any chance they get on a product without even mentioning it to you or notating there will be a price change or upcharge. This morning since i love the food but hate the service i decided ill use some of my reward points that i have earned spending money at this establishment. I pull up at 5:45am i hear a voice on the speaker i give them my order. I roll up to the window. She greets me with a hello, I say hello back with a smile. She asked if i was a rewards member i said yes. And today id actually like to take advantage of the rewards i have earned. Told her what i would like to use which was 100 points on the app. To redeem any size brewed coffee or hot beverage for FREE. AS ADVERTISED. She then stops me and says unfortunately in my system thats not offered here. So i cannot redeem your points. I look at her puzzled. Almost feel like in order to boost the stores numbers im being lied to, to preserve not having to be given what was rightfully earned by me. She then persisted to argue with me while in the drive thru line at 5:45am in which i stopped the argument. Handed her a 20 dollar bill and said i dont have time to argue with you any longer i have to be at work. She handed me back my money and pushed me along without even handing me the items ive purchased. TALK ABOUT SHOOING SOMEONE OUT THE DOOR. I never once rose my voice or talked down on this employee or even truly made a rude comment, I just was a man trying to redeem his reward points at a place i used to find to be a good local breakfast spot that i could trust with my money to feed myself and my family on a very daily basis. This will be the last time i ever visit this establishment mainly because i believe they're spiraling downhill due to the...

Outright disappointing -

Is this a corporate decision or manager decision because it SUCKS.

First of all .. I love bagels. I used to enjoy Einstein. BUT since when do they get to decide to place sesame seeds on my Garlic bagel?

Nitty gritty- atmosphere is a little grungy in here. Maybe they're too busy for general up keep. Windows filthy, coolers look like a kindergarten class came through after art class (very dirty). Just to pick them apart because I'm upset... Sure vents need to be replaced it cleaned and painted. no one wiping off tables drink station 'nuff said lol

As far as service goes. Front staff was on point. Quick to take order, high energy and kind. Food quality was decent. I ended up ordering a plain toasted with bacon (because I do not want sesame seeds).

Now for the real deal......

I'm not a purist by any means. I know they, Einstein's do not boil their bagels (only steam them). Each bagel place has their own unique flavors. I'm accepting of a lot of different variations and combinations.

I asked to see the manager since was this was my fourth visit to this location and I had questions.

1. the manager REFUSED to step around the corner to greet me. I'm a guest, don't we count?

2. My question for the was this: Why are there ALWAYS sesame seeds on my Garlic bagel 🥯 ???

Do you want to know the answer I received, third party?? --- To cut down on the bitterness of the garlic.

I LOVE garlic. I hate sesame seeds.

Why not put stuff on the Onion bagels?!? Or Asiago cheese both strong flavors- They ,by the way, ... they only mess with the garlic bagels.

Pssst! - if it's too garlicky, you can just brush some off!

Side note: sesame just got upgraded by FDA as one of the MAJOR Food Allergens. .... This is 🚫 not the place to come if you have those kind of allergens

This might be my last visit here. There's other places out there that would never do this to a poor Garlic bagel.

... Einstein, what did Garlic Bagels do to you too be punished like this!!

Sacrilege! Disappointing behavior, Einstein. You should be ashamed of...

If you offer the option to make bagels thin and confirm that both at the speaker and window, then why when I get the bag on two different occasions,it's never thin? I asked about a month ago which bagels were offered thin? The gentleman told me all can be. I said oh really? He said they just cut the regular bagel smaller. So I picked one and it was perfect. I tipped 100% on it because I know what they had to do to cut that bagel to make it thin (worked in the field 25 years). I went back again a few days later for the same thing, a lady on the headset took my order gave her the 100% tip and I received my order from the sandwich maker and the bagel wasn't thin. It was a normal sesame Bagel. Now I just left einstein for the last time today 20 minutes ago. Asked them if they can make the sesame Bagel thin, they said yes, went through the whole process. Went to the windows, confirmed. Gentlemen read back my order saying thin. 100% tip again. Same sandwich guy from the last time passed me my sandwich and guess what? My sesame Bagel was not thin. It's my fault not to go inside and complain or the fact that I just spent 17 extra dollars in tips for nothing but it being wrong. But it's saved money now because I'm done going there. I've come to the conclusion it's not the order takers fault. It's the sandwich maker. The same person that made it twice. Like I said, I was in the field for 25 years. He's an older gentleman. Probably too lazy to do it and doesn't care about the customers experience and that's okay. He has one less customers...