Perkins American Food Co. — Restaurant in Urbana

Terrible customer service from Anna. This bothered me so much it's the first bad food review I'm ever writing. Placed order on GrubHub leaving work. Got an email saying the order was cancelled, but that's not why I'm leaving this. Called the restaurant to see what was wrong. Was calm and polite. Even addressed her by the name she answered the phone with. She blurts defensively "I don't know! That ain't got nothin to do with us!" raising her voice a little. Couldn't even apologize and tell the customer she was sorry that happened. I was stunned and silent, and said "Thanks. Bye." She then hurriedly asked if I wanted to place a pick up order with them. I think she realized I wasn't calling to chew anybody out. I said sure. I would've said no if I weren't already in the parking lot. I ordered the potato pancake platter like I have a dozen times before through the app. I asked for no butter and no powdered sugar. "No powdered sugar? Powdered sugar on potato pancakes?!?!" she exclaimed in disgust. "That don't go on potato pancakes." I explained it says it comes with powdered sugar in the app and I always select the option to remove it." She takes the rest of my order and I come to pick it up. I pay, choose to extend grace and left a tip, even though it was pick up. I check the bag. All the food was in a single small container thrown on top of each other. The serving was smaller than usual. There's also no cutlery, no napkins, nor the condiments that are usually in the bag. There were 5 packs of butter though, which I specifically asked not to have. Figured maybe they were short staffed and they read the ticket fast. I ask for the items without an attitude. I then added I would like some syrup too before she left to retrieve anything. She exclaims again like she thinks I'm totally stupid "Syrup??!!" She seemed annoyed I'd asked her for any of the items at all. She looks down at me like I'm an imbecile. "You don't eat potato cakes with syrup! THAT'S WHAT THE APPLESAUCE IS FOR!!!" Why does she keep raising her voice at me and assuming I've never had them before? She's not joking or being light hearted. She's absolutely serious! Like in a scolding, condescending manner. You would've thought she was speaking to a child. The people behind me even gasped. I got the syrup for my turkey sausage, but I didn't feel I needed to explain a thing to her. I was so taken aback I forgot to ask for ketchup for my eggs. She comes out with the syrup and exclaims again "You don't put syrup on potato pancakes hun, but here you go!! THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T IN THERE!!" Looks me square in my eyes with a serious stare. Lady, no one was going to write a review about how there was no syrup in the bag. Why was she so defensive like I accused her of something? Did someone cuss her out before I came and I was getting the aftermath? I was sweet the whole time. I'd admit if I was being a jerk and she was giving it back to me. My guess is she's the manager and needs to take everything personally on behalf of the restaurant, and also because I don't think a regular employee could get away with that. Maybe she thinks she's preventing bad reviews. I should've responded sarcastically with "I guess you eat potato pancakes with your hands too and lick your fingers afterward!" but I would be stooping to her level. I've eaten potato pancakes since I was little and I'm in my mid 30s. I don't need a lesson on how to eat them. I don't care if the syrup was for my eggs or if I requested a side of ranch and soy sauce! That has nothing to do with her and it's rude to comment on if it were for that. It would do you good not to speak to your patrons like they're idiots. Lacked tactfulness and professionalism. I've worked customer service, taken orders, made and given orders. That's why I'm never rude to service people because I've walked those shoes. However, your job is to take my order and fill my requests with satisfaction whenever possible and apologize when you can't. Poor service. Didn't...

Dear Perkins Management,

For the past 18 weeks, I’ve been coming to your restaurant every Monday for one reason: Free Pie Monday—and more importantly, the exceptional service from Shawn. What started as a personal tradition quickly grew into a weekly gathering of 6–8 friends, and over time, EVEN MORE joined. We weren’t just showing up for pie, we were coming for the warm, welcoming experience Shawn created. His energy, hospitality, and genuine care for customers turned Perkins into a weekly tradition in our lives.

Unfortunately, that tradition came to a heartbreaking end after a deeply disappointing experience this past Monday.

My friends and I arrived around 10 PM, as we usually do a little after 9. Upon being seated, our waitress informed us they were out of Chocolate French Silk—understandable, as pies do run out. But after we and everyone else in the restaurant had already placed our orders for food, she suddenly announced that Free Pie Monday had ended at 9 PM and would not be honored.

To say this felt misleading would be an understatement. If that policy were truly in place, it should have been communicated before we sat down and placed any orders—not after. It felt like we were led on just to ensure we didn’t leave, and that’s incredibly disheartening. That is not how you treat loyal customers, and it certainly isn’t how Shawn ever treated us.

Shawn made every visit memorable. He didn’t just serve food—he created community. He knew how to make upsells feel like recommendations, not pitches—whether it was extra French toast, toppings, or hot drinks. Because it came from Shawn, we gladly said yes. We always tipped generously (AT LEAST 25–50% every week) not just because of good service, but because he made us feel welcome.

This past Monday, we felt the opposite. The staff seemed annoyed by our presence, offered no enthusiasm, and gave us the bare minimum. No smiles, no care, no interest. No hot drinks, no extras, no engagement—nothing. It was the first time in months that we all just placed our orders and left, and it's the least generous we've tipped in a while as well.

Management needs to understand how much business Shawn brought in. We were a group of 12–15 people by the end, all coming specifically for Free Pie Monday because of the experience Shaun created. He made Perkins feel like a second home—and now, it doesn’t.

Also, why is the 9 PM Free Pie cutoff even enforced? If it's meant to reduce late-night rushes, that’s fine—but why not be transparent about it? And what happens to the leftover pies? If we had known about the policy and that it meant missing out on seeing Shaun, we absolutely would’ve come earlier.

Until we hear that Shawn is back, my friends and I—who’ve been INCREDIBLY consistent, loyal, and enthusiastic customers—will no longer be returning to Perkins on Mondays.

Sincerely, A Loyal Customer Who Wants...

My school life has been extremely draining, so every week for the past semester I always looked forward to coming to Perkins on Monday nights with my friends.

I loved every part about these visits--we lived many memories at Perkins. The experience got better when we met Shaun. Over the course of the semester, my friends and I were super excited to see what's new with Shaun, and we could tell that Shaun was excited to see us too.

Shaun is one of the hardest working people I've ever met. The past few weeks, we could see sweat dripping from his face from the amount of work he's been handling at Perkins. I have never in my life seen this much devotion.He brought atmosphere to the restaurant. I felt comfortable. I felt safe. Most importantly, he is the reason we all come to Perkins rather than any other restaurant. We would never exploit Shaun's hard work ethic, and we always tipped him well because we recognized and appreciated his work. I love the care that Shaun puts into each of his customers.

My last trip to Perkins was upsetting. We first noticed that Shaun was no longer there. When we asked about where Shaun went, we were told that he got moved to another shift. Then, we were told we could not order pies past 9:30 (keep in mind, our usual visit time is past 10 because we are all extremely busy with school work). The enthusiasm and atmosphere of the restaurant was missing, and we pressured to eat and leave, rather than enjoying our stay.

I understand that new policies have been put into place, and I would love to abide by these policies. However, I wish for Shaun to come back for Monday nights Perkins. My group of 12+ friends and I have decided that we will not be attending Perkins any longer until Shaun is back. I hope...