Jillian S.
Yelp
It saddens me to write this, but New Morning Bakery has been slipping of late. I have been going to NMB since we moved here in 2004 and have always loved the place. It's kind of a dream bakery. But there are some things I've noticed lately that could stand some improvement.
First off, some of the employees are not as friendly as they used to be. There is no warmth in their attitude, and they are slower than molasses. This evening, for example, I was in a hurry because my daughter was so exhausted from play rehearsal that she'd fallen asleep in the car. As a special treat, I was getting her some lasagna (her favorite) and a slice of delicious cake.
There were two elderly guys in front of me in line, and they were very chatty in that Corvallis kind of way, which is fine -- but the girl who was waiting on them was completely occupied with their banter. Again, I get that. People like to talk in Corvallis, it's part of what makes the vibe here livable.
In the meantime, this other girl was cleaning the coffee machine right next to me, swabbing it down slowly with a white rag. Several minutes went by before she worked her way over to me. She paused for a moment, then looked up and said: "are you being helped?" I looked to my left, and then to my right. "No," I said. "I'm just standing here waiting."
This statement appeared to baffle her, and she stood there blankly. Eventually, she said: "Is there something you'd like?"
"Yes," I said. "You can get me a slice of lasagna to go, there's no need to heat it. And a slice of triple berry torte."
After an excruciatingly long time (how long does it take to slice a slab of lasagna and slap it onto a cardboard plate?) she appeared at the register with my order and I paid for it, sliding a tip into the jar. "Would you like a receipt?" she asked. "No, that's OK," I replied. Then she turned on her heel and walked away. Not a word of thanks or "have a nice night" or anything -- just snag my fifteen bucks and gone.
Training tip for management: Teach employees to thank all customers for their money, no matter how humble the transaction. A two-dollar cup of coffee becomes one hundred dollars worth of business over the period of two decades, maybe more. How hard is it to say "thank you, have a nice night" to your customers as you are walking away?
To be honest, while the decor and community spirit at NMB is awesome (they hang local artwork on the walls), the food can be hit or miss. The lasagnas and raviolis are great, but elements of the fruit salad are sometimes flavorless and wooden. The cakes and pies are fantastic, particularly when the berries are in season, but the cheesecake is fatty and flavorless, the almond croissants are often soggy, and the biscuits and gravy tend to the heavy side. Breakfast burritos? Awesome when they are in stock and the bacon is crispy. Eclairs? Yawn. The custard tastes boxed. Tiramisu hits the spot every time, just the right amount of liqueur. Chicken salad is always tasty, so long as you shake some salt on it. Tuna salad lacks anything distinctive at all, tastes old. Paninis are zippy but the turkey provolone sandwich feels close to retirement, if not ready to enter the senior center. Don't bother with the macaroni and cheese, even though it looks quite sumptuous -- in fact, this is the case with many of the dishes, which look great but fail to deliver, which goes double for the petit fours: delightful to look at but cardboard in the mouth.
I will always be coming to New Morning Bakery so long as the place is still standing. I consider it the heart of Corvallis, not the least because of its oblique reference to the Bob Dylan song. But I would also appreciate it if they'd bring back some of the old enthusiasm. They need it.
Can't you feel that sun a-shinin'?
Ground hog runnin' by the country stream
This must be the day that all of my dreams come true
So happy just to be alive
Underneath the sky of blue
On this new morning, new morning
On this new morning with you
--Bob Dylan