Cafe’s reply to my review - is it any wonder places are struggling?

Why would a cafe have a sign saying that? Very odd.

Not a great sign.

But you could have mentioned that privately to them before you left. Is it any wonder that places are struggling when customers criticise every detail on the internet without speaking to the owners..

But their response would not have put me off visiting so no, the fact that they responded to you will probably not contribute to the collapse of the hospitality industry.

Do they serve alcohol?

My life is fun thank you. I don’t know why we live in a society where having an opinion or thoughts about something means you need to “lighten up”. So condescending.

Why is the comment fair - It’s a play on words on the double meaning of the word sober as (as you right point out) cafes are not drinking dens but are places people go to socialise and feel better and not leave ‘solumn or sad’

Well the sign the OP is talking about is just a cheeky little nudge to come and enjoy a tipple. If you don’t like something it doesn’t mean it’s a personal dig at you.

Life is pretty fun and jolly if you just lighten up a bit.

You have given an honest review and I think the comment about the sign is fair. Loads of people don't or can't have alcohol and you wouldn't expect a café to be a drinking den. I wouldn't expect to see that sign in a pub either, mind.

The sign is totally naff, you are right to say so and they have the right to defend it if they want to. But I would certainly think less of a place that responded like that. Lack of sense of humour is a standard response of someone who regularly offends people.

Alcohol kills more people than all other drugs added together. 2.6m people globally, so alcoholism is rife. It's not laughing matter if you have experience of how it kills people and how alcohol abusers/alcoholics live.

That said the sign is funny. @KatieWa we all need to put into proportion our own experiences. Not everything that we fi d offensive really is offensive. It is likely yours is the first comment on the sign. And the owner is right, most people will find it funny.

Of course. My reply said "we will now think about making changes..." It didn't say any changes would be made.

However. If the business wants to make it clear they will not make changes they could phrase it
"...after much thought we have decided to continue with the sign in place for now, but will continue to review the situation...." or something like that.

Reviews should always be professional and if I ever read defensive replies from companies it puts me right off the company....

(sorry wrote this up thread but forgot to quote your comment treesandsheep)

It’s a weird sign to have and I’d probably go elsewhere.

Having seen 2 families ripped apart by alcoholism, and the number of people living with the consequences, it is no laughing matter. I wouldn't set foot in an establishment with a sign like that!

It wasn’t nonsense. It was a sign that said something to the effect of ‘having money problems? Not getting on with your wife? Hate your job? Don’t worry, no one leaves here sober and sad’. A horrific sign. And it was huge and on the pavement so you didn’t have to be in the pub to see it.

Yanbu to raise an eyebrow at the sign, and yanbu to mention it in your review, but you are weird and unreasonable to link this in any way to "why businesses are struggling". The challenges of running a small business have nothing to do with a sense of humour clash between one specific business owner and one specific customer. Issues of cost of living crisis, increased costs of ingredients, increases in NI contributions for employers and a generally struggling global economy really are not affected by this situation.

There were some drunk women on the train yesterday early evening.

They were recanting a group disagreement earlier in the evening. It was a blow by blow account with reenactment and commentary.

Twas was fully hilarious. Better than telly. I was disappointed when I had to get off.

People are so po faced these day. Getting slashed once in a while would probably take people's focus off perfect insta photos, pumping iron and their face full of fillers for a minute so they could actually have fun.

No sign is going to make someone an alcoholic neither is a night out on the piss every now and again.

Of course. My reply said "we will now think about making changes..." It didn't say anything changes would be made.

However. If the business wants to make it clear they will not make changes they could phrase it

"...after much thought we have decided to continue with the sign in place for now, but will continue to review the situation...." or something like that.

Reviews should always be professional and if I ever read defensive replies from companies it puts me right off the company....

What I’m trying to say is, encouraging irresponsible alcohol consumption (what the pub sign I’m talking about was doing) is dangerous. Alcohol ruins lives as drugs do, but it’s just legal.

If you think this attitude is why the hospitality industry is suffering - you’re delusional to what is happening regards cost of living 🙈🤦‍♀️

There are licensed cafes everywhere. Theres a french one ten minutes walk from us.

This is a seriously weird take. It’s a licensed cafe, not a crack den.

A pub had to take a sign about alcohol down, due to a “campaign”…. What a load of nonsense!

if the “protestors” were that concerned about the sign and alcohol, I suggest they keep out of the pub and leave the patrons to enjoy themselves.

Hi OP @KatieWa i agree, it’s tasteless and weird. A pub near me had to take a similar sign down as there was a local campaign about it. Alcohol ruins people’s lives, people wouldn’t be okay with a sign encouraging heroin but for some reason alcohol is okay. Well done for saying something, unfortunately there is a weird attitude to alcohol in this country so don’t expect many sympathetic responses. X

I don’t understand why a cafe would have that sign?

A pub, it makes total sense, but a cafe?

I didn’t even realise that cafes sell alcohol? When I think of a cafe I think of a little shop that sells breakfasts and light snacks served alongside a cup of tea or coffee 🤷‍♀️

Your comment was a bit hypercritical, but I find the whole concept of getting drunk in a cafe a little confusing?

Maybe cafes are more fun in Devon than where I live 🤣

I do think its poor taste too. I guess there are more people who agree but wouldnt bother to write a review about it.
If I was in your shoes re alcohol issues I might be also tempted to tell them though. I learned over the time its not going to get me anywhere and it just causes raised eyebrowes, not understanding. In my case its got to do with somewhat autistic perception of that sigh that would not find it funny at all.

Again, I think the joke is that it is a play on words.

You expect to see the sign at the pub but it’s in a cafe. So you you read the sign as meaning ‘no one leaves here not drunk’ but it’s a cafe which probably doesn’t sell alcohol but at a place where you meet friends and family and socialise

so the meaning of the sign means ‘no one leaves here sad’ which is the play on words on the other meaning of the word sober

thats the joke! The play on words element. I actually think its quite clever!

My son hates music. Hei has a processing disorder where he hears noise rather than music.

Shall I complain about everywhere that plays music because he doesn't like it and there's no need for it in a cafe?

Perhaps you hit a nerve. Maybe the sign seems out of place because it's a tribute to a friend, family member or customer who is no longer with them.

Do the same rules about triggering apply to the business owner?

Really it should be a non event for everyone so I'd guess there's more to it on both sides.