Jane V.
Google
This review is to help the owner of Cinnaholic and franchise owner of this location. I realize that this review will likely irritate most people, but I feel compelled to explain what was good and what must improve.
1. The cinnamon buns were outstanding. I follow a mostly vegan diet, and if I were not aware that these cinnamon buns were vegan, I would not have been able to discern that there was no dairy product in the cinnamon buns. Delicious, fresh, hot, and I would return to get more of these cinnamon buns.
2. Customer service. Everyone uses Uber eats/delivery services, so when the "real" customer actually comes in, all businesses should be overly welcoming. The red carpet should be rolled out if anyone chooses to walk into your business, especially in the Uptown area of Houston, where typically there are 10 eating establishments in each strip center. In other words, businesses should really reward the customer for taking the time to actually go into the business when many customers will just use a delivery service. We walked in and received a rather lukewarm sort of "hello." I would recommend that the front of the house employees smile and are immediately welcoming to all customers. In other words, make the people who walk in feel that you really want them there. In addition, if I were running this business, I would have all employees ask "Is this your first time into Cinnaholic?" (This should be asked to all customers if employees do not recognize a repeat customer.) If the customer answers with a "yes," then I would instruct the employee to memorize something that would explain what to do. Example: Well, let me explain that you can either order a general cinnamon bun, which is described here...OR you can customize your bun by first selecting a frosting, and then the bun. The employee should work hard at engaging the customer by offering his/her personal favorite, etc. (there should be a paper menu or laminated menu or a QR code to access a menu) We were forced to read the overhead sign which was in large font, but still, this was a bit inconvenient.
3. The owner of Cinnaholic has a great product. I applaud the ingenuity and dedication of the owner. More people are following vegan or mostly plant-based diets, and this is a welcome change to the typical egg/dairy based cinnamon bun. However, most people who eat cinnamon buns will want coffee. A cinnamon bun is normally paired with coffee. I would recommend that any Houston or Texas location of Cinnaholic get a contract with Community coffee, which is a company based in Lousiana, or with another coffee company which is based in Texas. The coffee that was offered was in a pump dispenser much like those that are located in hotel lobbies. The coffee was lukewarm and had no taste. In addition, the employee had to bring out an entire container of oat milk. This is not efficient and was, I will say, a bit awkward. The quality of the coffee must match the quality of the cinnamon bun. The poor quality of the coffee detracts from the high quality of the cinnamon bun.
4. All tables should be cleaned at all times. I realize that most people would likely take the cinnamon buns and leave the premises, but we wanted to sit for a few minutes as a family member was visiting for the weekend. However, all tables had crumbs on them. I realize that running a business is difficult, but employees should be trained to check all tables every 20 minutes or so, or automatically clean the tables whenever customers leave. Employees should communicate and tag team so that tables are cleaned. An alarm should ring every 15-20 minutes or something to alert employees that it is time to at least scan the dining area to see if anything needs to be cleaned.
All in all, I will return. I would recommend the cinnamon buns, but I would advise customers to get them to go.