Le Pain Quotidien

This has happened quite a few times when I come sit down at LPQ. For starters, while eating at the Broadway location in Tribeca, I noticed a few things that concerned me.

For one, they have takeout drinks and dine-in drinks at the same counter. I can watch as people who are taking out their orders to go talk and lean over open dine-in drinks while they wait. I think this is disgusting since none of the workers are asking them to move, or very rarely do I see one worker ask them to move. These people are eating over drinks as well as talking, laughing, coughing, etc.

It's the responsibility of the restaurant to either set up different waiting areas for dining and takeout drinks or ask these customers to wait away from the counter where open face drinks are waiting. Secondly, the drink orders take far too long. I see them getting made and left at the counter, possibly because the servers are busy or distracted, or maybe it's because of all the other customers standing in front of the drinks! They don't see that our drinks are ready till they're cold, and then we have to wait to have them made again.

There are a few other issues I'd like to address, but for now, this is the most pressing seeing as I do not usually see people looming over my food when it's ready and sitting on the ledge because they don't allow other customers near that area from what I can tell.

However, my only complaint with the food is that it takes far too long to be served at the table. At least it's still warm and people haven't been talking or eating over it.

On Sunday, July 13, my husband and I arrived at the Manhattan Beach location around 4:30 PM. Our waiter brought us menus and said they closed at 5 PM. We said, 'OK, thank you,' quickly ordered our food and beverages, and ate and paid and tipped well.

I went inside to use the ladies' restroom when a man (assuming manager) approached me with much hostility, his arms out like a T (cross), coming all the way up to my face and very aggressively saying, 'The bathroom is closed; we're closed!!!'

I was in shock and startled; why would this man approach me like that? I'm 53, and he came all the way up to my face and barked at me. I said quietly, shaking, 'I just ate outside, and I have to use the restroom.' I proceeded to go in. By the time I was coming out, I was crying and was leaving when I saw our waiter and told him what happened. He apologized, and as I was heading back outside to our table, I was crying because he was so hostile and rude to me and so close to my face earlier. He apologized to my husband and offered us pastries. My husband just said, 'No, thank you,' and we left, but I feel somebody needs to know what happened there. It's 1:20 AM, and I'm still so, so upset about today. I don't know why he behaved in such a manner, but it's so alarming to me.

Official complaint against Manager at store#222, 2728 Townsgate Rd Thousand Oaks CA 91361. Ordered my usual toasted croissant with ham and gruyere. The person who prepared it thought that meant a croissant with ham and some sort of spread. How? It's their menu item, no alterations requested.

As this was purchased through GrubHub for delivery, I went through the proper channels to inform them an item was incorrectly prepared. However, since this is not the first time this establishment has prepared items incorrectly, I called to speak to a Manager. The so-called manager, Christopher, (if that really is his name) got on the line. I first confirmed that he was the Manager, to which he confirmed he was. I informed him what the issue was and he went to look for the order. Came back on the line he couldn't find it and I repeated the order name and details. He found it and I asked how can your menu item be prepared differently than how it is supposed to be made. He said it was made wrong and that he will speak to the preparer and unfortunately since this was ordered from GrubHub he couldn't do anything.

I said the person preparing it is incompetent and then he said, 'I'm trying to help and I would like you to not use the degrading term, 'incompetent'' and he hung up on me! Really, your staff incorrectly prepared my dish, thus, incompetent. Definition of incompetent is: not having or showing the necessary skills to do something successfully. They did not prepare my order successfully and thus incompetent. So, he thought it was a good idea to hang up on me?

That doesn't help, so Mr. So-called, Manager, you sir, are an incompetent Manager.