I've been a loyal customer of Fusaro's Kitchen for 17 years, dining there regularly and ordering catering for events. I don't know if the management has changed, but something certainly has. In October, I hosted a small gathering and ordered paninis, sandwiches, and salad for the evening. I paid for delivery, but a week before, the manager called to say they could no longer deliver and I would need to pick up the food myself. I agreed and was told to arrive at 5:30 p.m. on the day of my event.
On the day of the event, when I arrived to pick up the food, the employee told me they were closed. She explained that there had been a break-in the night before, and they hadn't been able to prepare my order. It was just an hour before my event, and I was shocked. I extended my sympathy for what had happened and was very understanding, but asked why I hadn't been notified earlier to make other arrangements. They had the whole day!!! She said they tried calling. When I checked my phone, I saw they had called while I was en route--too late to make a difference.
The catering manager arrived, flustered, and I asked why I hadn't been contacted sooner. She responded that she was "dealing with business" and had no time. I reminded her that I was the business--without customers, there is no business. Her response was rude, and she didn't seem to understand that managing customer relations during a crisis is part of her job.
She promised a refund, but my main concern was that I had no food for my guests, just an hour before the event. Despite my attempts to remain calm, the manager dismissed me mid-conversation. I reminded them that a part of management responsibility was to manage crisis. How on earth a CATERING MANAGER does not think of calling the clients waiting for food they had ordered for a party? what if this was a milestone birthday or a wedding? I left the restaurant frustrated and upset.
A few days later, I was contacted for my credit card details to process the refund. Then I was told the amount was too large to refund via card, and I needed to pick up cash. When I went to the restaurant a week later, the cash wasn't available, and the machine was down. I was told to return on Monday to get the cash, but I was given a narrow window of time during my work hours. It felt disrespectful.
I finally went back today (Friday), only to be told the refund had been processed on my card. I picked the receipt after checking my online banking and left without speaking to the manager, as I was fed up. After reading reviews, I realized this wasn't the first time this has happened, and I didn't see the point in providing feedback--if they didn't learn from previous complaints, they wouldn't learn from mine.
Fusaro's Kitchen has lost a loyal customer. I know one customer won't bankrupt them, but they've lost someone who trusted them for nearly two decades. Loyal customers are the most important asset of a business and they should be treated with respect. Not only them, but everyone as humans! On the day of my event, all they had to do was apologize and try to make things right. Instead, I got poor service, rude behavior, and dismissiveness. I won't be returning or recommending them to anyone. I'm deeply disappointed, as Fusaro's Kitchen used to be one of my favorite places, a nice family-run business, but now it feels like a shadow of what it used to be.... read more