Perenn Midtown — Restaurant in Reno

Here’s the sad truth about Perenn Bakery: it’s a great product that has been ruined by poor and, I suspect, negligent or unethical management.

When it first opened five or so years ago, it was a rare, shining star in the generally mediocre Reno food scene: remarkably delicious pastries and lunches, different and better than anything to be had in town. Friendly Aubrey, the owner, would be behind the counter servicing her customers and supervising. It was a delight in every way. But unlike other bakeries/lunch spots that managed to expand and maintain their quality (‘Wichcraft and City Bakery in NYC come to mind) Perenn’s expansions (to the much larger restaurants south and west of Midtown and a specialty grocery store in Rancharrah) has resulted in this original Midtown bakery becoming a purveyor of service so bad, so contemptuous of its customers, that I will no longer go there. Here was my last experience:

I like to order their chocolate bouchons as desserts for dinner parties. If you call the store they often don’t answer the phone and the message directs you to order online, which is irritating but common-enough these days. Now I don’t even bother to call, I just do it. So last Saturday I placed and paid for my order, and then, an hour later, took an Uber to the store to pick it up. Oh, I was told, we don’t have those today.

“The online app took my order and told me it would be ready. Did you think to call me since you knew you couldn’t fulfill my order?”

I’m sorry. We’ve been really busy. Would you like something else?”

So here’s the thing: this isn’t the first time this has happened. This exact same thing has happened at least once, maybe twice, before. The first time I explained: chocolate bouchons are not interchangeable with breakfast pastries. I’m not going to serve a croissant or cinnamon roll for dessert! So offering something else isn’t an acceptable alternative. You have an obligation to keep your online inventory updated or to call a customer before they take the time to come in. (One of the last times they did this they didn’t have the requested number of bouchons so they just put something else in the box as a substitute.)

The point I want to make is this: owners who promulgate procedures and policies that fail to respect their customers’ most basic consumer rights—to notify a customer that the product you’ve offered for sale and charged him for, that you’ve induced him to spend time and money coming to get, that he’s counting on for his party (I can’t imagine ever using this company as a caterer, which is also one of the services they offer) DOES NOT EXIST. This thoughtlessness, or, worse, a cynical disregard for a customer’s time, simply means, to me at least, that you are an owner who should not be operating a business that caters to the public. With Perenn, this is a problem that has been happening for a long time now and they haven’t changed it. The manager and owners I suspect have allowed the flaws in their online ordering system to stand because they think it will get the customers to come into the store and then they will simply select a substitute and Perenn will get to keep the sale. Every time this has happened to me the counter girl has said, “We don’t have [whatever I ordered]. Would you care for something else?” It’s something a manager has told her to say. It’s something so common in business today: a dishonest and selfish policy disguised in friendliness. (You should also know that as of this writing I’m having to file a claim with my bank for the charge for the products they could not provide last Saturday; not only did they fail to provide my order, but they have failed to reverse the charges for it and won’t answer the phone so I can make a request for a correction. It is beyond frustrating.)

Businesses that promote policies that violate basic rules of consideration and respect for their customers don’t deserve our patronage. I won’t buy from Perenn again; you...

Love their loaf cakes! (5/5 Green Stars also) Perenn Bakery is a beautiful and welcoming place with friendly staff and shaded benches outside. I ordered a slide of their ricotta, lemon and poppy seed loaf ($4.40) and even though I didn’t eat it until the next day it was moist and delicious! One of the best loaf cakes I’ve had and because it’s also very substantial, the price is reasonable. I couldn’t resist their bread so I got a brie and fig jam sandwich on sourdough ($9). There was actually a bit too much jam on it, making it a bit sweet for my taste, but it was good, nonetheless.

I’m giving Perenn Bakery 5/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact for the following reasons:

• Tip is included in their prices to support a living wage for staff. • Their coffee is fair trade & organic and beans are for sale in paper bags. • Almost everything (even their ricotta) is made in house. • Minimal packaging or plastic – my loaf was delivered in a small wax bag and the sandwich was on a piece of wax paper in a recyclable cardboard box. • Café interior is mostly natural materials (lots of wood). • Update from owner, Aubrey, on suppliers: Perenn uses organic flour from Central Milling, pasture-raised eggs from Glaum Egg Ranch, butter from Isigny Ste Mere, and other ingredients from local farms (mostly Prema Farm) and Veritable Vegetable. • The menu is reasonably vegetarian. Only the...

Perenn Bakery, from the owners of standout local catering company Butter+Salt, recently opened in Midtown as of late 2018.

It's always nice to see local businesses thriving and expanding, so this is a great addition to the Midtown area.

Enticed by a recent Instagram post from the bakery, I ordered the Brie, Rosemary + Prosciutto Kouigin Amann topped with Fig Jam and a coffee. The pastry was delicious with a flakey, buttery crust, and a nice contrast between the sweet and salty flavors. So delicious, now I'm looking forward to making my way through the entire menu.

The interior is inviting and full of natural light from the big front windows. A modern country design with some exposed wood and a few plants. A big central table plus smaller satellite seating provide ample space whether a solo epicure or small group.

Staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the products. I would love to see them expand their coffee offerings, but overall a fantastic new spot that I'll enjoy...