Scratch Bakery — Restaurant in Virginia

What should have been a sweet experience turned out to be the most sour!! Scratch Bakery must be in existence due to location only, as the customer service from the manager/owner was shattering to her own business.

The shop despite having minimal space and a few customers, the owner, LaShonda will make you wait and discuss your event between customers; its truly not worth your time.

Fifteen minutes after I entered, I was made to wait behind another customer whom she said was going to be a minute. Ten minutes later as if I had no place else to be, we started to chat about my event again, but yet another interruption. I was finally told that she primarily do work with customers via email for events. We viewed a few pages on the web while hanging over the cash register to view the monitor, until she said "you can view these at home and send me the design you want by email".

The mark of a good bakery/cakery is not necessarily its size, but the quality of its goodies and the customer service of its staff. Scratch Bakery lacks in both. The owner is rude, terrible attitude, and have no respect for customers or their time.

2nd visit (2 days later)-- After emailing the design, I returned for more rude and bitter service with no inkling of a smile, all the while hoping she would be in better spirits. I was sadly mistaken; it was worse as if it could get any worse. I was also told, I will have to pay for the order in full and was advised of what I selected she could not predict how it will look when finished.

Yet again, there was absolutely no way to sit down and discuss the event to alloting individualized attention in assisting with your planning; instead you are still made to discuss over the counter and between customers and if you're lucky as I was, in the middle of trying to place an order for a $200+ cake (order), the owner may just walk away to speak with another customer who came in after you without saying excuse me, or letting you know what is going on--and expected me to stand and wait. Instead I left.

Visiting Scratch Bakery was certainly a bitter-sweet experience, but one that I will never repeat and would not wish upon anyone else to sample. If you are tempted by the sweet smells and location, you would be better off visiting other bakeries in the nearby area.

I drove around the corner to another bakery on Warwick Blvd and received both individual attention and placed my order all in one visit and got to sit down during the discussion. It was nice seeing the design of my thoughts being placed on paper and printed out! WOW! Professionalism! I also noticed another staff member assisting other customers so we were not interrupted. I was also provided a sample and customer service with a smile that made a statement of they appreciated my business. I also was shown a way to save a few dollars with my order!

I could imagine what the entire ordeal would have been like if I had went through with Scratch Bakery. I know now after reading reviews and discussions with others, that I dodged...

I ordered a cake for my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary Banquet. I asked that manager via email if they could make any 1 of 3 cake designs I found online. She replied the same day and indicated that they could but would have to be a 4 tiered cake with an additional sheet cake to accommodate the number of attendees. I replied about 2 weeks later. I told her that the designed was narrowed down to the photo attached in the email. This is obviously a very important detail when ordering hundreds of dollars worth of cake. Well, the cake they delivered to the banquet was the wrong cake!

The manager communicated extremely poorly after the initial order. For example, it took around a month to get identification info from the delivery driver. This was a requirement by the military base we had our function on. My planners tried contacting her multiple times by phone and email over this timeframe and received no reply. I had to actually visit the bakery to let them know that we needed the info right away. It was finally sent a few days later.

Furthermore, we had the same communications issues with the delivery time. There were again more emails and phone calls with no response. The manager was never, ever at the bakery when I visited or called. Thankfully the manager accidentally gave me her cellphone and not the bakery's number in a previous email. I did reach her on the cell. I told here that my planners were trying to confirm the delivery time but couldn't reach her. She asked, "how did you get this number". Of course I said "I got it from you". She proceeds to tell me that my issue was already taken care. Her attitude was like "why are you bothering me again". My planners were finally able to confirm the delivery time a day or two later.

It's very sad that I had to give this 2 star review for the most delicious cake I've ever eaten. It was good and beautiful but wasn't the cake I requested. It also took way too long to get vital information integral to the success of the banquet. Since I was buying a hundreds of dollars cake, I was a valued customer but was NEVER treated that way. The management at the Newport News location needs to get her priorities straight or there needs to be a change in management so that Scratch Bakery can reach its...

On Friday, Jan. 31 I called Scratch to order a birthday cake for my partner for Monday, Feb.3. He wanted carrot cake. I was planning a surprise birthday party at his favorite restaurant. I was told that they would not have the cake ready until Tuesday as it was carrot cake. So I agreed to pick up the cake at about 11 on Tuesday. I changed the pans for the restaurant and called all the friends to get this moved. It took some juggling, but eventually it all came together. Did I mention I did all of this from my hospital bed following surgery? On Tuesday we got up and got ready to go pick up the cake and then head to the restaurant. I sent in a friend to pick up the cake and he came back and asked me for some details. I gave them to him and he went back in. He came back a few minutes later and said that the cake would not be ready until later that day or the next day. This would not work as I had a big table full of friends waiting to celebrate the birthday. I called the bakery from the car ( I was unable to walk without assistance due the surgery the week before). I was told that they put the order in the Wednesday slot and that is why the cake was not ready. Suddenly a cake that required 3 days prior notice now could be made that afternoon. I was offered a dozen cupcakes plus the cake later that day. What was I to do with the cake later that day....the party was scheduled for lunch. I was offered to have my money refunded. I said that would be fine. I then called the restaurant and explained the situation and they said they would get me a fresh cake from their supplier and they did. A wonderful carrot cake from the Carrot Tree. I would recommend that if you order a cake from Scratch for a specific event that you contact them to make sure it will be ready for you. You cannot rely on them to be professionals and do what they say...