Mast Market — Restaurant in New York

I went into this store this morning (1/3/25) with my toddler in a stroller. We had 15 minutes to kill before the nearby museum opened so I bought a hot drink and pastry. As I scanned the store I saw that all the tables had someone sat at them and there was just one high stool available against the window. I asked the barista if I could briefly use the empty table right next to the cash registers. He (young man) was polite but firm that I couldn’t as it was used for setting out fresh produce. He then asked a woman sat behind me, working on a laptop to confirm. She replied that I couldn’t use the table with no further explanation. So I accepted it without any protest and sat down at the high top stool. As I sat down, another woman with a child in a stroller walked up to the laptop lady and asked to use the spare chair at her table, which she then placed at the ‘produce’ table, that I was told mere moments before that I couldn’t use. The laptop lady saw her sit down at the produce table and said if she would prefer she could also sit down at her table. I was sat less than 3 feet from both women.

This is a store that my family and I often go to, but this morning’s incident - brief though it was has left me feeling that the staff were being discriminatory. I write this review in the hope that someone from the store reads this and reflects on how even small incidents like this can make customers feel not welcome. I don’t feel comfortable returning...

A welcomed addition to this neighborhood. I stopped in to check it out and left with a few things I was very happy with including heirloom carrots and some delicious one ingredient apple cider. I am heading back for some local milk (in the glass bottle like the milkman delivered twice a week growing up) and local eggs as well. As I learn more and more about the benefits of organic foods and the negative health and environmental impact of GMO’s, having a new place to shop that is devoted to bringing healthy and responsibly sourced foods and ingredients to its customers at fair price points just made this neighborhood a lot better. The staff and the owner were helpful and had great attitudes. I wish them the best and much success. I was able to read some of the other reviews as well. I saw that I am not alone in my praise. And to anyone who is not impressed with this place, I say this to you: Look around. It used to be when a place closed on the upper west side, we felt bad for about a day. Until the following week when something new came in. Now when a place closes, the space sits vacant for months, years. So what doesn’t impress you about not just someone having the guts and determination to open a store during a pandemic and time of uncertainty, but does so with the health and best interest of his customers in mind? Did you like this location better when it stood vacant? Would you prefer another bank to open here...

A common theme across most of their low rating reviews is that the staff is very rude. I had the same experience unfortunately. It doesn't feel good to be a loyal paying customer and then be treated with utter rudeness. I have regularly taken my support dog there, no questions asked. But this morning when I went to order, the women working the counter said to each other that now there are 2 dogs in the store and that they don't like that. So after I placed my order and paid, not before, one of them rudely told me dogs are not allowed. 1) this is inconsistent to all the other times I have been there with my dog and have seen a lot of other customers with their dogs. 2) she could have instead been a bit polite and asked whether it's a support animal, 3) after I informed her, she wanted to know specific health information. Even if I did share it, I wouldn't feel comfortable sitting there after her hostile behavior. When you're in this industry, the least you can do is talk politely and respectfully with everyone. You can ask the right questions without being rude or hostile. Please train your staff consistently, starting with a training on decent...