Marketing and customer service are lacking
Marketing and customer service seems to be a problem with many businesses in the Grove. Someone mentioned on the post below that he didn't know that Cucina Creativa was a restaurant on Commodore Plaza, he thought it was a kitchen store. It does sound like it. But part of their problem was their rudeness. They are now a restaurant called Al Fresco.
I had stopped in more than once during the day, when apparently there is school going on, why school, I don't know, but I find it to be the weirdest thing. Anyway, rather than be polite and maybe hand out a menu or flyer and say, "please come back at dinner time," they practically chase you off with bats, as if you are there to molest the school children.
I have not been back since. Now that it is Al Fresco, I don't know if the same people are there during the day, "guarding" the children, but they should be told that people are looking for the restaurant and are not there to harm children -- who I think are high school kids by the way. Some customer service would do that place some wonders.
I had stopped in more than once during the day, when apparently there is school going on, why school, I don't know, but I find it to be the weirdest thing. Anyway, rather than be polite and maybe hand out a menu or flyer and say, "please come back at dinner time," they practically chase you off with bats, as if you are there to molest the school children.
I have not been back since. Now that it is Al Fresco, I don't know if the same people are there during the day, "guarding" the children, but they should be told that people are looking for the restaurant and are not there to harm children -- who I think are high school kids by the way. Some customer service would do that place some wonders.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:09 AM
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6 Comments:
I happen to work at Academy of Arts & Minds and yes Al Fresco is the restaurant. We got a new cook which changed it from Cucina Creativa. To tell you the truth they have really good food and it is cheap. I have also heard random people say they have been there and they really enjoyed it. I agree they should do more marketing but the current chef has definitely inproved on that.
You have to rememeber, this is a school. Because of our location being in the middle of a business district and we are open to the public, we are very cautious about visitors walking in. We have security whose job is to make sure the only people coming in are parents to pick up their children. It is an extreme liability if something were to happen. We have bums and random tourists walking in all the time during lunch.
The restaurant is open everyday at 5pm except for Mondays. They also show old classic movies on a projection screen. Try it out!
I went to the building to sign up for some classes and had no idea where to go. There was nobody there to ask. The place was empty except for a couple of people smoking cigarettes in the courtyard. Maybe you need better signs and security? It looked extremely strange to me. I had no idea that this was a school for kids!
Marketing and customer service seems to be a problem with many businesses in the Grove.
Here, here, Grapeman. Here, here.
Elena,
Obviously (I hope) this wasn't during a regular school day because no one is smoking in our courtyard during school hours. You can ask anyone that you see, where is the main office. (Which is located on the 2nd floor) The school is for the Arts----dance, chorus, theatre, visual arts, etc...) The only classes we offer to the public after school is the Music Conservatory.
We have been here for four years and are very active in the community. We participate in Arts Fest, Taste of the Grove, Mango Strut, our music program is top in the state, and so on. Visit the website www.aandm.net
It's "hear hear" blind mind.
And yes, Al Fresco might have good service one day, bad another...
But, let me tell you, overall, the Grove has the second worst service in South Florida, right behind South Beach.
The bad service is not only bad attitude, however, it is often complete ignorance coupled with a mediocre attitude.
Al Fresco is great, and the concept is a great Grove Concept -- a defunct shopping center turned high-school with an arts emphasis, that also features a full-fledged theater with real, professional performances. At night, the same chef that provides the kids their lunch turns it into a restaurant for the rest of us, in a charming courtyard with movies on the wall, and an equally charming dining room when its raining or too hot.
The menu is Italian and quite good. It's the same menu as it was when it was Cucina Creativa - they changed the name because apparently a great number of people do not speak italian and could not figure out that it means Creative Kitchen
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