Proof Bread — Restaurant in Phoenix

I am a huge fan of the phenomenal sour dough bread and pastries at Proof. Every product I have purchased has been exceptional in every way. But lately, there has been a curious decision made by the ownership that has made the overall experience at Proof less than positive. The decision involves slicing bread. I know, I know. This is going to make me sound both weird and privileged. I get it. But, stick with me as I try to explain. At some point, having whole loaves of bread sliced at the time of purchase was removed as an option. So, while the employees do still have a slicing machine at their disposal, they are no longer allowed to use it to slice whole loaves of the bread. Originally when they made this decision, they said that as long as there were pre-sliced loaves available for purchase, that it really shouldn’t matter…because those loaves had just been sliced the same day. They went on to say that if there were no pre-sliced loaves available, then they would of course be more than happy to slice a loaf of bread upon purchase. Fair enough…except now that policy apparently has changed as well. Now, even if there are no pre-sliced loaves available, they still won’t slice your bread for you. Each time I have tried to politely figure out the reason, I have been given a different answer. It seems as if different employees have different reasons of why this is being done (or, more to the point, not done). It’s all rather frustrating and seems very silly, given the fact that this is a bakery which is baking fresh bread. But, at the end of the day, it is not my business - and I would not be presumptuous enough to tell someone else how to run their shop. I want to be clear. I love Proof bread. The people that they have working as employees are polite, friendly and terrific. The product, the cleanliness of the store, the selection - all fantastic. But, do you know what the best thing since sliced bread is? It’s actual...

This bakery has really mastered the art of disappointment. Not only are they selling $12 stale bread with the audacity of a five-star joint, but now they’ve gone and shrunk their pastries too. So you’re paying premium prices for day-old loaves and miniature treats that make you question if you're at a bakery or a dollhouse. Their sliced bread is 1 to 3 days old - because apparently, freshness is optional -and the non-sliced loaves? Sure, they’re good, but you’ll need a degree in bread-slicing to avoid turning them into mangled chunks. They used to slice bread on-site, but now they ship it off somewhere to get sliced and stale, then resell it like it's still top quality. It’s insane. You’re literally paying $12 for stale bread and downsized pastries. If you’re into overpriced disappointment, this is your spot.

ADDED after the owner replied with a bunch of inaccuracies — every single time I brought up to the staff at this location that bread I purchased earlier in the day was stale, they confirmed that the unsold bread is sent to their Mesa location at the end of the day to be sliced and re-sold a day or more later. I’ve even had one girl at the store tell me I bought bread that was 3 days old one time. So I don’t understand why the owner is dancing around these facts. The sliced bread is stale ever since they took out the slicer they had on site. It’s true that most other breads there are $10. But even then - it’s outrageous to charge this much for stale bread, and on top of it - the size of the breads also shrunk in the last few months. There is no denying this and it’s not a single occurrence. The breads have gotten smaller — literally shrinkflation. At least if you sold a fresh product I wouldn’t...

On Monday, July 8th, 2024, I had an unpleasant incident when I stopped by for my regular bread purchase. I left a review describing how an employee reacted poorly to my request to slice bread, leading to an uncomfortable exchange that ultimately resulted in that employee refusing to provide service and storming out of the exchange.

The following day, I received a prompt text from Logan, the Director of Operations. He wanted to listen to my concerns and offered sincere apologies. I had felt frustrated and shaken after my interaction with their employee on Monday, but speaking with Logan made me feel understood and reassured that the situation was being taken seriously and was not the type of service they were particularly proud of. It was evident after our conversation that my business and support were genuinely appreciated.

After speaking with Logan and reading Jon's heartfelt reply (google review), I felt compelled to delete my review. Jon and Logan handled this wild experience professionally and heard me out. Not only did they hear me out, but they both followed up individually after our conversation to assure me that future measures would be prioritized to address de-escalation and customer service for the organization. They assured me that my business of over four years meant a lot to them. I am excited to continue my loyalty to Proof Bread and have the chance to personally express my gratitude for...