"Absolutely appalled at the service that I have received today at this establishment. I ordered a coffee and a cake with my friend and shortly after receiving the food we were asked [with no apology, or appreciation] to move to another table, as a family have arrived and need to be seated here. We obliged, under the impression that the family would be around 5 or 6 members to justify the displacement of current, paying customers who in all laws of business and customer service, should be prioritised over new customers. I look back after being seated on a shared table for 8, and only 3 family members had sat on our previous table, begging the question as to why we were moved in the first place. After around an hour, I was ordered [not asked exact words were I 'm going to move you to the bar in a bit , whilst walking away from me] to move to the bar, which is when I expressed my dissatisfaction with the way that I have been treated. The owner 's response to this was that he feels sad rejecting paying customers at the door [insinuating that I myself am a squatter and am not paying], and that this is a small business so it is completely appropriate for him to ask me to move, when no one else has been moved, all said in the most dismissive tone possible, barely able to acquire an apology from him. I then decided to leave and further expressed my disappointment at the service to the lady who was taking payment, and I expressed that due to not being treated as a paying customer, I did not feel comfortable paying. To which she replied that I had ate and drank, so I had to pay. Overall, I am disappointed to say that I observed a stark difference in the way I [a presenting muslim woman] was treated, as compared to other [white majority] customers were treated. If you are a POC, or a muslim woman especially, I would strongly urge you to stay away from this establishment due to the covert prioritisation of revenue over customer satisfaction through adequate service. It 's a shame, as it is a lovely place with good food, but not worth paying towards a staff culture of clear resentment, dismissal and disrespect. Response to owner 's reply: Thank you for your prompt and thoughtful reply, I only wish this was reflected in your service. To clarify a few things, I was the only customer who was moved yesterday in the middle of eating their food, and I was the only customer told to move twice. Please pay close attention to my choice of words I was *told* not asked to move. Perhaps the customers that were understanding of being told to move were: A) asked, not told B) not in the middle of eating and drinking what they had ordered C) attended to in a manner that was befitting of a small business that prides itself on respect and customer satisfaction It is worth noting, that if you have a read through your reviews, there are multiple customers with very similar experiences to mine, this blatant disregard for customer comfort and satisfaction doesn’t seem to be an isolated event. It is a shame that staff ruin what would otherwise be a perfect experience. I received my drink at 12:50, and left the cafe at 14:50 exactly, so I had not been sat there for 3 hours with one drink, and to be frank I have spent more time writing this review than I did in your establishment. I am not criticising your decision to prioritise larger groups on the bigger tables, I am criticising the apparent inability to express this upon being seated, as opposed to moving your customers around, with no apology or regard, like chess pieces. And to finish, it is NOT for you to decide whether your cafe is a welcoming place for all, it is for your customers to decide. The day I visited the vast majority of the cafe was of one certain background, and I unfortunately saw a stark difference in the way I was treated and spoken to, to the way the other customers were attended to. You do not get to disregard my experience with generalist statements about diversity, when I was made to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Best wishes"
