Go nuts on donuts
171 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
I drove across the city to grab a bite at this new donut shop for my birthday. 🎂 It was one of two such shops local to Christchurch. It appears split close to 50/50 with their #vegan options. This is the best vegan eclair/donut thingy I have ever had, the size is generous compared to the one I had at Tart Bakery. Another plus is the box was cardboard! #ecotakeout, #cardboardisnotscary
A couple of criticisms: while they promote their vegan options with an outdoor sign and sign on the counter, the actual individual treats themselves are not labelled as vegan. There were two cabinets and one had a sign promoting vegan options so I asked to clarify which ones were vegan. That’s when the confusion started. The owner told me that some in the left cabinet were mixed, and when I asked to clarify, he said some were plain and others not, which confused me further as it seemed he was now talking about plain donuts versus cream filled. So again I clarified which ones are vegan and he had to come around and point them out to me and clarified they were plant based. I wanted a donut but he had pointed to the eclairs, and of course I was only going to choose something vegan. So I bought an eclair, although later I saw they have vegan donuts too online. There can be no room for ambiguity with vegan customers and so I would highly recommend each vegan option be labelled (or the entire cabinet if that is the case)
Another thing, the eclairs were priced at $8.50 but we were charged $8.75 which was explained as a surcharge for using the eftpos machine. I get that small businesses will charge more to so that they can survive, I just don’t know why the price tag couldn’t include the surcharge (I would have still bought it at $8.75). Finding out only after I’d swiped my card was an uncomfortable little surprise - there was no sign explaining a surcharge.
Five stars for the donut taste and size, and the owner had a pleasant manner, however I prefer straightforward service so I’m disappointed I cannot give an overall five stars. I just feel uncomfortable thinking back on it.
How would you feel/what would you have done in this situation?
27 comentários
Happy birthday!!! This looks amazing! Hope you enjoyed your special day despite this bumpy experience.
I completely agree that if the vegan menu is going to be a major selling point, they should make an effort to follow through and ensure good labeling/customer experience (you’ve got them in the door, now what?) It would also benefit anyone with food allergies.
I think I’ve become desensitized to extra charges overall since we had taxes, cost of living adjustments, tips, and takeout vs. dine-in price differences factored in at the time of purchase, but occasionally it still gets me. I recently went to a coffee shop that 1) didn’t indicate anywhere on the menu that non-dairy options were available, I had to ask, and 2) didn’t tell me it was going to be $1 extra until I was rung up. The coffee was good, but I don’t know if I’ll be back anytime soon.
happy birthday!! 🍩🎉 bummer on the confusion and hidden fee.
Happy birthday! Such a relatable experience. You'd think by now that signage would be clear and straightforward, especially if they're making vegan options a selling point.
