An open letter to our customers and the clients of most restaurants.

This is a review that our business received today. After reading the review I became down and despondent.

*Da quando hanno cambiato il barista I caffe' e capuccini sono diventati quasi imbevibili prezzi molto alti al di sopra della media

*translation*
Since they changed the barista the coffee and cappuccinos have become almost undrinkable prices very high above the average

I got sad because I cannot change anything. I cannot change anything because the effects of Covid still have us in its claws.

Before Covid we had a rating of 4,7 on Google Reviews. We had a high turnover; the business was thriving, with a positive trajectory. There was never ever a quiet minute and everything worked well. The coffee was great, the food was excellent, and the selection was plentiful.

We had ten long-term employees and we cultivated a culture and opinion that everybody should be treated fairly. We only changed barista when they chose to move on after usually multiple years of service. They were perfect at making coffee, selling the food, and being a joy to our customers.

Then Covid came, and from one day to another, everything changed, fast. We were forced to take Covid credits to keep the business afloat, we also had to dismiss all but one of our staff. Our business suffered very low turnover due to being located in an area surrounded by empty office buildings.

With Covid we have paid a high price for our culture. Now, we cannot afford any more long-term contracts. We have to find new staff members every year. Unfortunately, this results in under-trained staff, who cannot be appropriately trained due to insufficient funds. Training is currently done on the job without supervision with many employees gaining knowledge by trial and error.

After 18 months, the office workers still have not come back to the many offices in the area; we are still struggling, playing with the idea of closing every month and hoping that it will be better next month.

How could we pay back the substantial Covid credit? We cannot close, we have to stay open and work incredibly hard due to the lack of staff we cannot afford to pay these days. We put on a happy face and try to give our customers the best service we can, knowing that one person is now doing the job of previously two or even three people.

I have become aware that the reviewer is probably someone who does not entirely appreciate the current situation specifically related to the world of hospitality and service. This strikes me as a pre-pandemic mindset.

We need to be empathetic.

We should not judge restaurants anymore. A bomb has exploded from within and continues to explode; the restaurant world has been torn to pieces. It is difficult to plan, strategize and subsequently thrive. Every day is a surprise. First Covid, then Delta, then summer holidays, and now maybe the new variant from Africa just in time for the winter season.

Pierofranco Broglia, I will again hire a barista trainer, because you are right, but the next time you are unsatisfied with your coffee or cappuccino, please let us know at the moment, and we will do our best to rectify the error. You, too, can play a positive role in helping our staff improving at their job, and we would thank you for it, with a smile.

We do our very best to make the clients, we have, happy.