Tropical Flava — Restaurant in Macon

Okay, so I have been going to this place since they were on the connector between Macon and Hartley Bridge and they had that lady's hair salon next to it. It was in a spot that didnt get a lot of traffic so they moved it to Ingelside. I am not sure if Roy is still part owner but he should be ashamed of how bad the customer service is. I came down from Atlanta because I wanted a friend who has been staying in Warner Robins to try it. If you don't know it's like 30 35 minutes to get to the place depending on the traffic. I called in our order and asked how long it would take to make and the gentleman on the phone stated about 30 to 35 minutes, so I was like cool, it should be about done by the time I get there. He didn't say No to that , so I was good. When I first came in, there is a lady by the front window and people sitting at the bar. There is a lady who works there cleaning the glass case and the dude who took my order was waiting on people. 1st the lady never looks up from what she was doing at the glass or greets me when I come in. I brush it off, because I was thinking that was the Part owners wife and she never seemed too nice anyway. I was thinking they had someone else to help the customers, so I disregard her and come and sat down to wait. The lady finishes walks back to the back; still not saying anything, so now I am just waiting for my opportunity to ask about my food. The guy with the beard finishes up with the people at the table and then goes into the kitchen. A WHITE GUY comes in and the chick who was cleaning hurries to the front and says hey Paul and shows him his food and I get up then to get her to acknowledge me now. So after Paul; who has gotten his food quick fast and hurry has left I ask about my food. She then says they took your order and are trying to get it together in the back. Weird, so I am like okay, now mind you it took me 30 to 35 minutes to get there and I have waited 5 before the rude lady with the glasses and dreads has said anything. So 40 minutes total to get there and still no type of update on my order, but Paul the nice white guy got his food real quick. The guy who took my order comes up after he has served a table greets me and asks how are thinks; now it has been an hour. Food is coming out for people but none of it was mine. I will admit I did get upset, because when I asked about my food. The lady who couldnt even look up from the glass case when I came in had something to say about my order. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN YOU CALL AN ORDER YOU WILL NOT GET IT WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME. PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST COME IN OFF THE STREET'S ORDERS ARE MADE FIRST. SO THERE IS NO POINT TO CALL INTO THIS PLACE TO MAKE AN ORDER. I just say don't spend your money here frequently. I have read A lot of the reviews before I went last night and was like that's not true, but after seeing what I saw last night; the culture in a business usually reflects the management and after last night I see why they cannot keep people or even acquire good help. I really was disappointed in my black people and this establishment. Another black business there is no point in supporting. The food is good but it is not worth spending your money here if you have to wait two hours on something that the people who just walked in were able to get in 30 minutes. Booooooo. Don't promote that you have call in ordering if you cannot live up to that promotion. NOT...

Bottom line up front: The customer service experience that I endured was sub par, humiliating, and I will not be back.

I came into town from Nashville to visit my parents. My mother and I decided to pick up takeout for Sunday lunch on April 21, 2024 between 12:30 and 1:45 PM. I normally support J&F Caribbean Delight, but they were closed, and Tropical Flava was nearby. We walked in and a woman with short cropped blond hair took my order and I paid in cash. My mom and I sat down and waited for the meal. One hour later, we were still seated and waiting. I asked the young man at the cash register for a time check on the arrival of the food. He went to check at the serving window and I saw him subsequently ask the woman whom I had paid about the status of my meal. After she looked for the ticket, it appears that she went to check on the status. It was clear to me that my ticket had been misplaced and the cooks did not have my order. As I continued to wait, my mom and I watched three groups of people receive their food after having walked in 15 to 20 minutes after we came in. The woman with the blond hair walked over to me to tell me that my food would be out shortly. I waited for nearly 15 more minutes, and finally having had enough, asked for a refund to which the woman responded she completely understood. To my astonishment, she then proceeded to look for the ticket with my order, walked back over to me, and inquired if I had actually paid for the food! She further inquired about who I had actually paid. At this point I was speechless and so taken aback by her lack of accountability that I told her to just keep the $21.00 that I paid because if I did not leave, escalation would have been my only recourse. I was angry, insulted, and completely overwhelmed with what has to be the absolute worst customer service experience of my life. As my mom and I departed, the blond lady came out of the store to further inquire, for a second time, about whether or not I actually paid her specifically. I pointed out to her that noone comes into the restaurant, gives her the order and skips payment. She asks for payment after every.single.order. I further communicated that I would not have waited over an hour without having paid. To be clear, my angst was not just about the fact that over an hour of my time was wasted on a Sunday with my parents. What most upset me was the complete lack of accountability, humility, and the demonstrated disregard for a mistake that she made and the blatant attempt at blame shifting that left me frustrated, humiliated and exasperated.

I love to support minority businesses. It is something that I take seriously, and I thought long and hard about this review. However, this is a blind spot for this particular establishment and the egregious slight could not go unanswered. The owner should be wary of how her/his cash register is managed, as I am quite sure that I am not the first nor will I be the last to have this experience if the current representation keeps her job. The rest of my family has been made aware, as they have also frequented this establishment in the past, and suffice it to say that this represents at least 6 people who will not be back.

In short, I will wait until J&F Caribbean Delight is open next time. I never leave there feeling like my patronage is taken...

Upon arriving we found this place on goggles… we drove a hr to get their when we got there is no one in there it was 525 we ask them when they open the ole lady behind the register said we are open in a very nasty tone and told us we only had a half an hour to order they did not hand us any menu or anything so my husband said can we have a menu and he said it’s right here on the counter we felt unwelcome like our money was not welcome there at all my 65 year old sister and 89 year old mother of Jamaican dissent also came inside the restaurant we ordered receive the full and 15 minutes The food was fresh and taste great in case but the customer service there the owner needs to hire someone else also the girl at the window in the back her attitude with stink as well towards us 🤬 I will never step foot in this place again I hope the home training That they were race in their household they need to bring it into their place of employment customer service is key feeling welcome in a place that you live three hours away drove an hour to get to from the destination that we were going to is...