Firehouse Subs Merchants Walk — Restaurant in Lakeland

Absolute WORST Firehouse location I've ever been to. Will no longer be a customer of this location due to the terrible attitude and lack of customer service skills of staff members.

I placed an online order (App order) to be picked up at a specified time. I arrived at the specified time, checked the 'online order' rack for orders... there were none. I waited about 10 minutes past my pickup time... still no orders available on the rack.

I walked up to the counter where the freshly made subs were being handed to one employee to deliver to tables. I got a quick glance from the employee behind the counter, and then it was back to work for her. I received no acknowledgement that I was there what-so-ever from a single employee this entire time. A bit more irritated now, I walked down to the counter and waited for customers to place their orders. Finally, it was my turn. I asked the cashier when my online order that was supposed to be ready ten minutes ago will be ready.

She walked to the back counter, grabbed a bag that's been sitting there the entire time I've been waiting and tells me it's ready. She hands it to me, I leave a bit frustrated that my subs are now cold and the fact that I waited for no reason.

But wait, it gets better. As I exit the parking lot, I get a call from Firehouse subs saying my payment did not go through when I placed my order. Now this is MY fault? They expected me to turn around, waste MY gas, to return to the store to pay for my order when it was THEIR app that caused the error. Being the honest person that I am, regardless of the TERRIBLE service I received through this ordeal so far, I turned around and went inside to pay.

I requested to speak to a manager.

The manager was working the line making sandwiches (and was there the entire time I was originally waiting for my order). He explained that when orders are placed but the payment doesn't go through, they leave the order on the back counter and wait for the customer to come up to the counter. - So, I said, I was standing here for ten minutes waiting on my order without being acknowledged... now my food is cold AND I had to return here to pay you for subs that are no longer fresh. I continued that it's ridiculous for them to 'wait for the customer to come to the counter' when they SEE someone waiting on their online order. There was no "Are you waiting on an order?" Or "What can we help you with this evening?" I GOT NOTHING. The manager has the NERVE to say "I'm sorry I didn't notice you". Seriously, your response to all of this is "I'm sorry I didn't notice you."

This is unacceptable behavior for employees in the customer service industry. This location needs new management to ensure future employees can be taught appropriate behavior.

Not only was the service terrible, management even worse, but the subs were no surprise old and 100% not worth the $26 we spent on them. I RECOMMEND YOU AVOID THIS LOCATION...

Dear Firehouse Management, I am writing to express my concerns following a recent dining experience at your establishment on (05/15//2025). While I enjoyed spending time with my friend, several aspects of our visit fell significantly short of expectations. The most concerning issue was the apparent lack of hygiene standards in the kitchen. I observed several instances that raised serious questions about food safety. Specifically, I noticed a tea dispenser uncovered and attracting insects, which were observed landing inside the dispenser. Further, I witnessed an employee wiping his nose without washing his hands before resuming food preparation. Finally, I saw another employee return from the restroom without washing their hands before returning to work. These observations left me deeply troubled about the potential for cross-contamination and the overall cleanliness of your kitchen. While our server was pleasant and the food itself was acceptable, the observed hygiene lapses overshadowed the positive aspects of our visit. These are not minor infractions; they represent significant health and safety risks. I urge you to review your hygiene practices and staff training with immediate effect. Maintaining strict standards of cleanliness is paramount in a food service environment. I hope you will take my concerns seriously and address these issues to prevent similar incidents in the future. I look forward to hearing from you regarding the steps you will take to improve your hygiene protocols and ensure customer safety. Sincerely, Tamika...

Hey, so this is kind of a unique situation. I was sitting waiting for my food to be ready. One of the workers walks out to restock the sodas in the side case. I think they broke a bottle with a box cutter or something but I was soaked in Sprite. I looked up because in shock and the worker ran into the backroom with the case of soda. None of the other workers said or did anything to help. Was so much soda my glasses were covered and I couldn't see through them. I had to take them off. The worker that soaked me didn't come back out. So they call my name right after and I told them to just bag it and let me leave. I said that they just busted a soda on me and the sandwich workers all looked kind of shocked and mumbled an apology. Honestly, I was just overwhelmed and sticky so I just left, not really sure how to handle a situation like this! It’s not like I was going to yell or scream. I would have appreciated just being addressed with an apology and maybe given some wet paper towels or something! I got back to work and am typing this now. So yeah, do better when drenching your customers I guess?

I've also contacted corporate regarding this because it was just too strange. Not a single employee tried to help me or apologized in this situation. Honestly, pull the footage on this if you have to! I'm wearing a blue jacket, black pants/shoes sitting at the double seater across from the register. There was literally an outline of my body in soda from where I was blasted and sitting. Table was covered in Sprite and...