|
Review content:
I'm bummed to be writing this. \r
We've lived in N Portland for 9 years and have been going to this place for years. Our initial love affair with the place began with the owner, a vocal supporter of the autism community. Our son (who has autism) was small at the time, and he always felt welcome in the space. The staff was consistently friendly, funny, and professional. Our son's spinning and echoing never phased them. Never an unkind word, never a disapproving glance. We were always greeted with a smile. The pizza was decent. The beer was cold. The space was funky.\r
We miss those days.\r
My husband and I are both service industry professionals, so we understand more than most people that customers can be difficult, that some days will feel like weeks, and that there will be times when everything that can possibly go wrong will. We get it. So when we go out - especially with our two children - we're really really NICE. We clean up our messes and never ever let our spawn run amok. We apologize for stuff regular folks would never think to apologize for. We joke with you. We tip like mad. We overcompensate, and sometimes we're willing to put up with a lot in the name of restaurant karma.\r
This last year with MP was a rough one for us. The staff just isn't the same. They're rude more often than not, tables are left dirty, dish tubs and garbage bins are overflowing...\r
We kept going back, though, because our son LOVES the place and we so so needed to believe that this was a temporary state. It used to be so good.\r
But our final four visits were awful. All four times we were with other people and all four times they commented on how rude the counter staff was. I'm pretty sure the same young woman was working the counter during three of those visits. Twice, the pizza was too burnt for either of our kids to eat (cheese brown and hardened, totally black bottom), and twice I paid for replacement slices. No apologies. \r
Last night my son begged for Mississippi, so I sucked it up and ordered three slices to go. It was late Saturday afternoon and they were really busy. I totally spaced the happy hour prices and pulled out the ONLY bill I had in my wallet, a $50. Que agitation, nasty face-making, grumpy noises, and rude remark.\r
I can't imagine the owners encouraging any of this behavior. \r
Service really is everything. Your counter people are the face of your business. If they can't muster a quiet smile or a gentle hello, that's tough. If they're nasty...ouch.\r
Our son will be really disappointed, but we won't be going back. \r
A whole year of meh and four trips in a row of bad can't be an anomaly.\r
So long, Old Friend.
|