Theresa M.
Yelp
Leone Cafe used to be one of our favorite places to go for specialty coffees and brunch, but NOT anymore.
Several months ago we went and noticed a HUGE change in the quality of the meals. Nothing seemed the same and the plating looked different. I noticed that "everyone" looked different. I didn't recognize any of the staff. I spoke to a manager and she advised that Leone's Cafe had been sold and there are now new owners.
I decided that maybe in a couple of months, the new owners would have things running more smoothly. I was WRONG.
We went again about 2 weeks ago and it's taken me this long to write the review because I was just so disgusted with the whole situation! I think everyone working at this place now is under 25 years old. Nothing against young people, but with youth comes lack of experience. There is no care or pride in what is being served. If I wanted some lack luster food thrown on a plate that's burned, and barely edible, I could go to any greasy spoon in town and not spend the kind of money I spend at Leone's.
No one gives 2-cents for presentation or quality of the food. They have cooks in the back NOT chefs. This was a high-class European cafe, under the leadership of the former owner. Now, this new owner, from what I've experienced, is obviously NOT proud of their food. The restaurant changed hands, but the menu, at least the offerings remained the same. No one announced the change in ownership and they are "masquerading" as Leone's Cafe, in my opinion. They didn't want anyone to know it's no longer the same because I'm sure they feared that people would stop coming to this location.
Well, when you serve people burned eggs, cottage cheese that looks like vomit, chopped cucumber salad drowning in bottled dressing, and then try to charge people for bread that used to be part of the meal, did you really think people are that blind and ignorant; that we would NOT notice that the quality has slipped so far that even a negative one start rating would be too high of praise?
The only people who will continue to frequent this place are "newbies" who don't know any better, and I'm betting that even with "newbies" this location will get their money ONE time, but with no repeat business.
Anyone person who has even a rudimentary background in business knows the 80/20 rule: You get 80% of your business from 20% of your customers. REPEAT business is what a company relies on. Well good luck luring in unsuspecting customers to pay your rent and make your payroll in the future. Because you have lost a loyal customer to Leone's Cafe.
Perhaps, you may want to consider changing the name of the restaurant so people will NOT constantly compare you to the original Leone's Cafe. At least that way, you'd be standing on your own, whether you sink or swim. However, in my opinion, if you keep trying to masquerade as the original Leone's Cafe, I'm betting you won't be around for long in a business where 99% of companies fail in the first year and 95% of the ones who survive the year fail within 5 years. In any case, I'm done with Leone's.