I purchased the Groupon For a pizza making class at Slice at the West Village location, and used it as recent as this year (2012). The Groupon cost $75.00 per person, a high price for a pizza making class, but when you consider all of the offerings the Groupon described, I figured it was a unique experience, and went ahead and not only paid the $75.00 for me, but for a friend as well.
1. Since I used the Groupon well after Labor Day, it was supposed to be valid Wednesdays from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. or Sunday from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- When I emailed the owner, Mikki, she got back to me right away with dates available for Sunday, however when I realized I could only do a Wednesday class, she simply replied that they don't "do" Wednesday classes anymore- even though that is what her Groupon advertised. Accepting that I had I only had the option of a Sunday class, I wrote Mikki two separate times to try and find a date before the Groupon expired - I never got a response from Mikki again. Finally I just called, and said "schedule me for the class I'm coming", and the staff member on the phone politely accepted that my friend and I were showing up, since we couldn't get a response from the owner, Mikki.
2. The lesson unfolds with the cheese-flecked history of pizza, incorporating fun visuals and a quiz on the Earl of Tomato's tempestuous life.
- Not one part of this happened. No history of pizza, I still am not sure who the Earl of Tomato is......and the only visual I saw was my friend stating back at me while we waited for the dough to rise for 45 minutes. That's right; we sat and did nothing for 45 minutes while the dough we made was rising back in the kitchen somewhere.
3. Knuckles do the nitty-gritty kneading, spreading the doughy interface and dousing it with creative toppings such as vegetables or invisible pieces of unicorn steak.
- We did make our own dough, which was fun. However, cheese was the only topping offered.....for $75.00 per person they couldn't even put toppings on the table?.... I am pretty sure their average pizza costs $18.00. And for $75.00 slice couldn't even offer toppings? Rip off.
4. Hardworking handcrafters can sip on local New York-state wine that plays well with pizza, and nosh on an array of appetizers and signature-craft pizza dishes.
- One white wine was served. Each person received less than a regular "sip" amount. When the pregnant woman next to me said no thank you, she wasn't even offered a glass of water. When I asked for a glass of water instead of wine, the rude staff member brought a huge pitcher of water and only one glass- didn't even bother to offer anyone around me a drink as well. So one sip of wine. Oh, and no appetizers. We sat at the table for 45 minutes and just stared at the golf tournament on TV and each other.
5. Slice spreads the culinary love by donating a free pizza-making class to a child at Hunts Point Alliance for every paying client that signs up
- No proof or mention of this donation other than the Groupon advertisement for this deal....and judging by the fact that only one thing that was advertised actually happened... I wouldn't be surprised if this donation ended up never happening as well.
This Groupon has been ran twice now by Groupon, and business with Slice should stop unless they seriously get their act together. Either stop promising (or charging) so much, deliver and re-plan your program. You shouldn't have people sitting for 45 minutes doing nothing...the 45 minute time slot should have been used giving the consumer what you promised - history lesson, appetizers and wine tasting...NONE of which happened. This is my first review of a business, at all. The only reason I am writing this is because when I choose to support local businesses, and spend $150.00 doing so, I would like to walk out satisfied. The only thing I walked out with was the personal - sized pizza that took two hours to make. That's right, we weren't even able to eat the pizza we made at the restaurant. read more