I was introduced to Loving Hut a year ago due to my gluten-free diet and quickly became a frequent and happy customer. The food is surprisingly healthy, with flavorful vegan options and organic tofu that feels fresh and well-prepared. While the service has always been a bit slow, I understood it was because orders are made fresh, which adds to the quality. I always had a great experience, UNTIL RECENTLY.
However, my most recent visit has completely changed my trust in this restaurant, and after reading recent reviews, it seems my concerns are part of a consistent and unresolved issue.
Here's what happened: I called to place my usual order and was surprised when no one picked up after several rings (they usually answer promptly). I tried again a few minutes later, and a man answered. When I requested my usual order--with the salad and veggies packed separately to avoid sogginess--he told me they couldn't do that anymore. This was strange since I've been making this request for a long time without issue, always tipping for the extra effort and packaging.
I asked if he was the manager, and he responded, "No, nothing like that," adding that no manager was present. As I continued speaking, intending to place my order anyway, he hung up mid-conversation! Shocked, I turned to ask my friends if I should even call back, but since we were craving this food, I decided to try again.
When he answered, I mentioned that we seemed to have been disconnected, but instead of acknowledging this, he insisted that I had hung up. He also sounded rushed and irritated, explaining he was the only person managing phones and in-person customers. I get it--being busy can be overwhelming--but this made the experience even more unprofessional. Also, being busy is a good thing for a job and business, so why turn away business?!
Reluctantly, I placed my order, and when I picked it up, we were sure it was the same person from the phone (my friends, too, as the conversation was on speaker), though he denied it. When I asked, he claimed the phone orders had been handled by someone else who had "just left." Sure...
To add to the chaos, he initially gave me the wrong order. Thankfully, my friends noticed while I was paying, and we corrected it. He apologized and swapped it out. He also mentioned he convinced the kitchen to honor my separate packaging request this one time but said it wouldn't be allowed in the future because of a "new policy."
Here's the kicker: How could he have talked to the kitchen about my request if he wasn't the one who took my call? The lies piled up, and it was exhausting to deal with someone so unprofessional and disorganized. Despite claiming he wasn't a manager, he gave me a discount, which made me wonder if he was trying to prevent me from reporting the experience.
This entire situation left a bad taste in my mouth--figuratively--and made me question the overall trustworthiness of the staff. If someone like this is handling customers up front, even if not cooking the food, then what about those in the back? It's hard to feel confident about returning.
Even so, I am giving 3 stars for the quality of the food, but...
To the manager or owner: Please screen your hires more carefully. Training isn't the issue here--it's about hiring reliable, professional staff to begin with. The service is damaging the reputation of what used to be a great place. Unfortunately, you've LOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS (yes, plural, including my friends and their families, too). read more