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

My dad’s an alcoholic and it wouldn’t cross my mind to take against the sign, never mind mention it in a review of a place that we’d had a nice time in!

I can see why the owner might have bit back at that, OP.

I can understand how the sign would hit a nerve with anyone affected by alcoholism.

How businesses respond to reviews says a lot about their professionalism. I hope they thanked you for the feedback and particularly all the positive things you said.

Coming up to 5 years sober.
I wouldn’t have given the sign a second thought.
However, before I was AF, when I didn’t think I had any issues with alcohol, I would have maybe been a bit bothered about it if I was going in there with alcoholic DF, so I can sort of see where OP is coming from. I would have been sensitive about it thinking it may trigger DF. I now realise it wouldn’t.
I also wouldn’t have mentioned it in a review though.

Omg. This has given me a laugh this morning. Get over yourself OP.

I do find a lot of business owners don’t respond well to constructive feedback, they usually show themselves up in their online reply.

Theres a sign up in my local butty shop that says “why don’t you ask for a free knuckle butty?”

i do like that sign though

I’d imagine dozens of people replying to voting also have family members who sufffer with alcoholism and wouldn’t have even given a second thought to the sign.
This is like when Demi Levato found the sign saying “low fat” in the ice cream shop triggering.

Agree. What a stupid sign. I wouldn’t have been laughing at this promotion of drunkenness. I’d probably have avoided the place.

Well, nobody made them when they were.
Was that meant to guilt me?

The sign does sound cringey, and like it cheapens the place. Why leave a review tho? It’s beggy , and thankless.

Does seem an odd sign for a cafe, we went to view a property once the neighbour opposite had one of these signs on their front porch, we didn’t even bother to view the property, as we could imagine why the owners were selling!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

well personally if had a good experience of a place I would not mention a small detail like a joke sign, however if I was the owner of a cafe who had received a good review with one slight issue I would not be arsed to leave a comment. However, as a mums net user you really should understand by now when someone asks for an opinion and feedback it is only acceptable if you have the "right" opinions!

When we were moving house we looked at a property that had the same sign in the lounge.
I must say it put us off.
It made us wonder if the owners would be sober long enough to sign the necessary legal papers to complete a sale !

OP I hope you also mentioned the high fat content of the pies, cakes etc.

Lots of people die from obesity related illness after all, it’s serious.

I agree with the OP’s sentiment (alcoholism is an illness; a destructive and deadly one) but I think she went OTT. I would have commented on it in person but it’s odd and slightly hysterical on a review.

@WillimNot Thanks for your reply - that was very helpful.

I don’t think they did at all, as evidenced from this thread some people find it juvenile and tiresome at worst or strange at best.

Those people may well be in the minority but it’s a valid perspective. I don’t see how it’s “whingeing”.

OP did not slate or tear apart the cafe in general , they could’ve focused on the positive stuff and said a brief ok most people find it amusing but thanks for sharing your perspective on that or even ignored that part completely

ETA: it’s also a bit misleading of the owner to say everyone else has found it funny. If I went there I wouldn’t find the sign funny but I also wouldn’t have said anything beyond rolling my eyes or perhaps just walking on by . Just because no-one had said anything (yet) doesn’t mean everyone else finds it hilarious. So claiming everyone else finds it funny to try and discredit OP’s perspective is silly.

Alcoholism aside many of us will find it pathetic to hang that on a sign outside a cafe of all places .

Even my student union cafe didn’t have a sign like that.

I think Op has every right to express how she feels about it especially as it was a balanced review.

I think the owner handled it perfectly! Of all the things to whinge about, not the service, food etc … a sign that’s totally inoffensive!

YABU Op

And sanctimonious as hell, with “no wonder cafes are failing”. What a ridiculous comment.

They’re failing because of people like you writing stupid reviews over issues that aren’t there.

Never have I read such nonsense in my life.

My brother was an alcoholic, a sign above a shop never triggered me, because I’m not ridiculous!

I

Agree. How weird of them to have that sign on their door. I’d expect it more of a bar or pub?

There was nothing wrong with your review, OP. Some will find it funny or amusing - others won’t. You decided to share your opinion and give your perspective. I feel the owner could’ve handled it better.

I agree op

My local garden centre does, little bottles of wine.

Yours is just one of lots of comments which come from grockles each year when they think they can change things they find in Devon they don’t like. It’s a place where people live and work all year, it’s not there to meet your whims for your week or two you visit.

Ridiculous comment.

Think harder.